Behind Every Good Man Is A Good Woman
by nimblnymph
Summary: A collection of one shots for KisukexYoruichi, ranging from family friendly to where's the cold shower at.
1. Snapshot One

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hallo! Well, this is my first ever time with a Bleach fic. Point out any mistakes with constructive criticism and you get hugs and candy. Flame me and you better like the taste of flame-retardant chemicals. This fic is going to be a series of one shots for Kisuke and Yoruichi, who I'm completely in love with as a couple. The one shots will range from PBS kids friendly to hot enough that it requires some light fanning as far as ratings go.

Normally, I wouldn't choose to start a new fic like this but... They REALLY wouldn't stop fooling around in my head. So, having said that, this one shot is MATURE in nature. Not MATURE enough to burn innocent eyes from their sockets, but enough so that it requires a MATURE label. And... I think everyone's got the point now so I'll shut up now. Thank you!

* * *

**Winning The War**

"Ta-Daaah!"

Gold eyes tinted ever so faintly with green peered at what was obviously supposed to impress her. "It's a big hole you dug in the middle of your shop," she said dryly, arching her brow over eyes that weren't perfectly human looking. Even in this form, she still retained some of her cat-like physique. She planted one hand on her hip and waited for him to explain why exactly he was putting a hole in his shop. Damp earth, gunpowder and for some reason acrylic paint wafted up through the shaft to assault her nose in a confusion of smells. The sound of voices fainlty carried up with those smells, and she could only imagine that they belonged to his three 'employees'.

The smile under the shady brim of his hat instantly flipped upside down, his shoulders deflating at her obvious lack of interest. "You're not impressed?" he asked with the faintest edge of a pout to his voice. He rubbed his stubbly covered chin as he regarded the hole again, this time as if trying to find out why she wasn't in the least bit impressed.

"Dogs do this every day."

"True... but can you think of a dog who can dig a hole this deep in only a few days?"

He had a point there, and she shrugged her shoulder to concede it. The movement instantly made her nose wrinkle in distaste at the feel of cotton against her skin. No matter how soft the material was advertised to be, it still felt unnatural to her. The only material she honestly didn't mind wearing was silk, but it wasn't at all practical for the activities she participated in. She ran a hand between her skin and the fabric, wishing once again that people in this world weren't so damned uptight about nudity. What was so upsetting about seeing a naked woman anyway? She knew for a fact she wasn't in the least bit unattractive in this form. Clothing was so... restraining.

"It doesn't change the fact that there's a six foot diameter hole smack dab in the middle of your store you, Kisuke," she repeated firmly before crossing her arms just under her breasts.

If she could see his eyes, she was sure they would match the crooked downward twist of disappointment on his lips. "Do you even know what it is, Yoruichi?" he insisted, pacing perilously close to the edge of the pit. If it were anyone else, she would have cautioned them back from the edge. However... this was Urahara Kisuke. She had to keep reminding herself that she didn't need to worry about him, not for anything.

"I've told you twice now that it's a pit, and if I have to say it a third time I'm leaving!"

Whatever Kisuke was about to say was lost as a big **_BOOM_** and a roaring cloud of dust suddenly exploded upward out of the hole. Both of them jumped back, shielding their mouths from the dust particles that billowed to the ground around them. Yoruichi glared at the hole through narrowed eyes, as if it had purposely attacked her. She was tired of his games, uncomfortable in these garments and now she was dirty. She _hated_ being dirty! Gritting her teeth, she gave him the best glare she could through the smoke, demanding an explaination for what the hell just happened.

"YOU _IDIOT_! YOU ALMOST BLEW US ALL STRAIGHT INTO THE SOUL SOCIETY!"

"But Jinta, you were holding the-"

"DON'T BLAME IT ON _ME_! _YOU_ WERE SUPPOSED SET THIS THING UP!"

"I... I did..." There was a little wail and more shouting that could barely be understood due to the speed and pitch of whoever was shouting. Thuds and sounds of things being thrown echoed back up through the darkness to the shop level, along with little whimpers and sniffles. Yoruichi hung her head and shook it at the routine that hadn't changed since she first met the children. How Kisuke could tolerate it without overdosing on asperin was beyond her.

Kisuke slapped a hand to his forehead and wiped it down his face slowly as he stood with the front edges to his sandals snugly pressed to the lip of his pit. A soft, slightly frustrated groan came from him as he looked down the darkness at the two voices like he could actually see them. "What's going on down there?" he called, his voice cutting easily through the din.

"Ururu didn't set the dynamite right, and then she set it off when I was trying to move it," Jinta tattled quickly.

"Please, Jinta, you told me to light the detonators. And you moved that last stick because you said it wouldn't make a big enough boom," Ururu corrected pitifully and with a large sniffle.

"Don't listen to her, boss! It's HER FAULT for not setting it up right to begin with!"

"Ai-yai..." Kisuke groaned. He pulled his hat off his head, frowning when he saw how dusty it was, and proceded to wipe it as clean as he could get. He scratched his head thoughtfully, lips still set in a grimace that said perhaps he wasn't as tolerant as she'd initially thought. "Tesai!"

"I was planting the trees, boss," the big man's voice rumbled back, clearing himself of any knowledge or responsibility of the incident and following fight.

"Trees? You have trees down in this hole of yours? And what's with giving dynamite to the children? You know how Jinta is with explosives," Yoruichi questioned, curious despite her irritated state as to what exactly the blonde haired man next to her was doing down there. At least most of the smells were explained. The only one remaining unanswered was the smell of fresh acrylic paint.

Kisuke favored her with a sly glance and a slightly lopsided smile as he replaced his hat firmly to his head. "Wanna take a peek?" he offered with just enough teasing to his voice to make the innocent question more of a flirtacious suggestion.

Yoruichi gave him a challenging smirk and cocked eyebrow in return as she refolded her arms just under her breasts. She knew his eyes weren't on her face any longer, but she couldn't outright accuse him of it since the hat hid his eyes completely from view. Kisuke was a clever pervert when he wanted to be. "Please, don't keep me in suspence," she replied sarcastically.

Grin flashing wider, he leaned over the hole and shouted, "We're coming down now!"

"WE!" Jinta shrieked. "Who's WE? Boss, have you been drinking again?"

Yoruichi snorted as Kisuke took a surprised step back from the edge at the lippy comment from the boy. She could also almost swear his cheeks were just a bit pinker than they had been before. "Again?" she smirked.

"Yeah... Tesai makes a killer Pina Colada," he confirmed sheepishly. "It wasn't any time recent, but that night... four of 'em later, I was so out of it you could have told me my name was Shirley and I would have believed you."

"Ah. I see." This was sooo going on the blackmail list now! Kisuke liked to drink Pina Coladas ... how cute. Judging by the way the pink suddenly spread a littly down his face, he probably guessed she was filing this information away for later mockery.

Clearing his throat, he stepped down the side, taking hold of a ladder she hadn't previously noticed along the edge. Well, it made sense to have a ladder when descending into an unlit pit of unknown depth. How else would one get back up? "Are you going to stand up here plotting ways to make me suffer for that information, or are you coming down?" he asked shortly before his hat disappeared into the shadows completely.

Sighing, Yoruichi peered down once again, trying to judge exactly how far down this hole of his went. She watched him as his clothing began to melt into the shadows slowly, narrowing her eyes to focus a little better. Her night vision was cat sharp, but even she couldn't see to the bottom of the pit. If Kisuke was bothering with the ladder rather than simply jumping down, chances were this thing was deep enough to actually do some damage if she leapt. She swung herself over the side, sandled feet finding the fourth rung down, and began to follow him into to whatever the hell it was he was creating.

The climb seemed to go on forever, and more than once she quietly cursed the fact that she was forced to wear clothing as it shifted against her skin in the most unsavory ways. Kisuke, the jolly pervert he could be, didn't mind her running around in her skin at all. The other two males in the shop were the real problem. The first time she'd changed form and walked out of the spare room in the shop in her human skin, Tesai had turned about fifty shades of red in the space of a minute before practically sprinting into the shop area and had been unable to look her in the eye the rest of the day. Jinta's jaw had dropped to the floor before he'd run screaming to the bathroom to wash his eyes out, all the while howling as if he'd been attached by a ferocious beast. Such dramatics over a little skin!

If it weren't for the fact that she knew who was waiting at the bottom of the ladder for her, she would have landed a sharp kick to the ribs of whoever owned the hands circling her waist and squeezing rather intimately into her curves. He lifted her slightly and set her down so that they were pressed together more closely than was necessary for exploring his latest creation. She shoved Kisuke back and ignored his chuckle at her display of outrage, thanking the darkness for hiding the sudden rush of blood to her face. Lords of the Underworld help her... he was in a flirtacious mood today! His mood was beginning to infect her a bit, she realized as she pulled her clothing away from the sweat just beginning to dampen her skin. She could lie to herself, and to him, about the sweat being caused by the stuffy, humid air from below ground. Yes, it sounded reasonable enough to be true. She would stick with that one... for a while at least.

"You've gained a little weight, Yoruichi. Maybe I should supply you with some skim milk for a while," he called at her back as she walked a few paces away from him to better see where she was now..

"Maybe you should learn the difference between fat weight and muscle weight," she bit back sharply. She had NOT gained any weight. He was just dillusional.

She once again ignored his laughter as she squinted at their surroundings. Dirt walls circled far above, turning the usually nondescript dull grey of the shop ceiling into a spot of brightness in all the gloom. Another spot of light caught her attention off to the left and had her walking toward it when she recognized it as an opening into another room. Jinta's low growl and Ururu's whimper informed her that the source of the explosion had probably started in there. Soft steps behind her told her Kisuke was following her, probably watching her ass as she walked. Her suspicions were confirmed when she added an extra bit of sway to her walk and heard his soft, "Oo," in response. This was an old game they were playing, one that had come naturally right from the very first day they had met. Kisuke had made a comment about it being illegal for her to spar in next to nothing, and she had countered with that it was his own damned fault if he was busy watching her breasts when he should have been watching her fists. And that, as they say, was history.

Yoruichi came to a halt just outside the exit to the narrow tunnel, her eyes blinking a couple times rapidly as she took in what was displayed before her. She'd not seen anything like this in... years. An enormous dome had been carved into the earth, and she already knew the diameter measurements without having to ask. One thousand and eighty feet in a complete circle. That was the bare minimum required for such a space. The ceiling was only half painted at the moment to resemble the sky outside, scafolding lining up the unpainted side in anticipation of its completion. Grass had been planted and was starting to turn a little brown without natural sunlight to filter in. The poor trees Tesai was planting weren't doing any better. Large lights were fixed into the curved ceiling to give those in the room vision, but it wasn't going to do a thing to save the plant life.

"Well? Now what do you think?" Kisuke said as he stepped up behind her, one hand curving to hold her hip gently. His breath blew against her ear lightly, but that was all from him that truly touched her. There was still a scant inch of space between her back and his chest. The game of tease was still on between them, and he was currently winning through illicit means. He knew she'd be awestruck at the sight of this place, damn him, and had taken full advantage of that.

Yoruichi moved away from the pleasant warmth she could feel through the layers of clothing he wore, walking soundlessly over the grass. "You're doing a better paint job on the ceiling," she commented. It was, too. MUCH better than the original one, which boasted a smiling sun and random rainbows drawn between cloud puffs. Someone had paid careful attention to detail and had it so that the color faded from the palest of blue closest to the ground to a richer shade near the top of the dome. The clouds weren't just white splotches either, they had details of shadowing and sunlight playing in with the pale color. If it weren't for the artificial lights and the dirt section still remaining along one side, she almost could have imagined it was real.

"Tesai's a marvelous artist. Isn't the grass rather nice?"

"Except for the dead patches, yes. Sod?"

"Yep, brought in three days ago. It's kind of a bummer it's already dying, but..."

She nodded, understanding that there wasn't much to be done considering how far under ground they were. She could see Tesai laboring with great care at planting yet another tree, this one still alive to judge by the lingering blooms. Her nose twitched as it caught the faintest scent of lilac before a smile threatened to cross her lips. Lilac was her favorite. He knew that very well, and the thought behind it was touching. Just as he knew how to be a tease, Kisuke also knew how to be incredibly sweet. She walked further in, knowing he was following a slight distance behind her and enjoying her reaction immensely to all this. "Are you going to put the-,"

"-That's what the kids are supposed to be working on," he answered for her, obviously having anticipated the question. Yoruichi allowed him to lead the way, this time making it her turn to watch him walk. Even after years of nearly non-active duty, Kisuke still looked in relatively good shape, she had to admit. Especially his ass. She fanned her hand lightly to get some air moving against her skin, and told herself she was hot because of the stuffiness that being underground induced. It was NOT because of him. Nope, not at all.

They finally came to a section in the grass that didn't exist. The reason it didn't exist was because it had been removed partially to form a new hole within the exisiting one. Rich, dark earth was scattered in clumps everywhere in the hole that was easily as tall as Yoruichi with her hands stretched high over her head. This new pit wasn't nearly as wide as the one leading down here, and it wouldn't be as deep either. She shivered a little, running her hands down the material of her shirt, as she remembered what exactly this would be used for.

She was removed from her thoughts when she noticed two sets of round eyes staring up at them. The reason she hadn't seen them before was because the two small figures that owned those eyes were covered entirely in mud and dirt. Their eyes were the only thing clean to them. Big sad eyes reminiscent of a puppy's and sharper brown eyes that narrowed when they noticed her watching gaped up from the hole. The sharper eyes turned to the wide ones shortly before the owner growled and snatched a muddy hand out toward a filthy pigtail on his counterpart. He gave it a sharp tug, jerking her head harshly toward his fist.

"OW! Jinta, that really hurts," Ururu wailed. Her big eyes scrunched close a she tried to free herself from the hand in her hair. Jinta's fingers weren't budging.

"Why didn't you tell me _she _was here?" Jinta hissed out at the girl as he gave another sharp tug. Yoruichi's lips pursed as she glared down at the impertinent boy. Obviously, he wasn't over that one incident yet. Honestly...

"Be-cause you never asked!" She screeched a little as Jinta released her hair only to grab her cheeks and stretch them out to the point where even Yoruichi was wincing for the poor girl. She felt sorry for the day when Ururu would finally decide she'd had enough of it and get even. Jinta's temper was hot, but she had a feeling Ururu's would be something terrifying to behold. Of course, the girl had to develope a backbone first.

"Okay, that's enough, Jinta," Kisuke said. The volume was mild but the firmness to the order was undeniable. It demanded immediate obedience, and received it as Jinta reluctantly released his victim. Ururu's eyes remained watery and birght as she rubbed her abused cheeks. "Man, are you two a mess! What's been going on down here?"

"Well, I've been trying to blow this hole for you, boss, and she's been getting in the way. Like usual!" Jinta sneered with a final glare tossed at his cohort.

"I don't mean to, Jinta, but it's really not safe to-,"

Ururu's quiet voice was drowned out by Jinta shouting, "It would go faster my way! Go play with your dolls!"

Loud clapping instantly killed the fighting from below and made them both look at Kisuke as he got their attention. "Hey, kids! Okay, listen to the boss for a second," he said. His voice was loud enough now to carry through the big, empty room easily. "We've only got a few days to get all this done. So... less bickering, more exploding, got it? And Jinta? If Ururu says it isn't safe, it probably isn't. I really don't wanna have to sweep pieces of you off the grass."

"You got it, boss!"

"Yes, Mr. Urahara."

Satisfied that the two would play as nicely as they ever did together, Kisuke motioned for Yoruichi to follow him over to one of the dead trees planted a little distance away. They sat down together under the dry branches and fake sky, and listened to the sounds of production going on around them. Kisuke sat with his back pressed to the tree trunk and legs cross before him, the very picture of leisurely comfort. Yoruichi sat slightly away from the tree, legs folded intricately underneath her. The posture didn't look as relaxed as his, but it felt good to stretch her muscles a bit.

"So," she said after a brief silence. "Do you think you can train Ichigo in time?"

"Mmm... sure. He's got a lot of natural talent as it is. I'm confident."

"Forgive me if your confidence isn't so reassuring right now. Yes, he has some raw talent, but this type of training... There aren't many Soul Reapers who could survive it. What makes you so certain Ichigo will?"

Kisuke smiled beneath his hat and took a deep breath of the stale, dry air. "Gut instinct. He has something worth fighting for."

"That's not enough to win against what he's about to face."

"He's also got a huuuge set of balls on him."

Yoruichi made a face at his declaration before swatting him playfully in the shoulder. "Keep your discoveries of his anatomy to yourself!"

Kisuke chuckled and lifted his hat enough for her to see the wicked gleam in his eye. "I wasn't talking literally. Had I known you like red heads though..." Another slap was his reward for that crack. "In all seriousness now, he stood up to both Renji and Byakuya. And _lived_."

She snorted, flexing her arms over her head to arch her back into a stretch. "That was stupidity that had him there, not balls. And a very nice bit of luck."

"Stupidity for going against them unprepared, yes. But ballsy because he didn't back down until they took the option from him. That's not luck, that's strength. Even then, he still stayed alive. I wish I could have seen Byakuya's face!" This time, the chuckle was entirely wicked, and she couldn't help answering it with a smile of her own. Considering how emotionless the captain was all the time, any twitch to that stoney facade would have amused the hell out of Kisuke.

"He's barely alive. I saw him. He looks like raw hamburger!"

Kisuke waved away her concern with an airy flick of his hand. "I've been dosing him up since I dragged him back here. By tomorrow, he won't look like hamburger. But surely, Yoruichi, you've felt it too?"

Yoruichi knew what he was talking about. She couldn't supress the shiver that ran through her body again at the memory of it. All that raw, searing energy pouring off of him... Ichigo's spiritual energy was like nothing she'd ever felt before in her life. If that was what he possessed as a novice, she couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be when, and if, he became a master. It... terrified her to think about, actually.

"It's one thing to possess power," she replied softly. 'It's a completely different thing to use it wisely. Ichigo throws it around like a handful of pebbles scattered across a pond. It creates too many little ripples that disrupt the others and therefore is counterproductive. I don't know if there's enough time to teach him to gather those pebbles up and form them into one rock to throw."

Her gaze dropped when his hand suddenly covered hers, giving it gentle pressure to reassure her. "Between the two of us, we can steer him in the right direction. Ultimately, he's got to figure out how to make that big rock on his own. Trust me, Yoruichi. I'm confident he can. His gifts are greater than my own."

Yoruichi whipped her head around so fast her ponytail nearly slapped her in the eye. Kisuke continued to smile as he gave her hand another squeeze. He couldn't mean that... not possibly! From the look on his face though, he was dead serious. Letting out the nervous breath she hadn't been aware of holding in the first place, she absently twisted her hand around so that their palms were touching, fingers twining together just as easily as they always had. "Well, I suppose if you put it like that...," she murmured.

His delighted chuckle was followed by a pat to her head as if she were one of the kids who worked for him. "There's a good kitty cat," he taunted, knowing how much she hated the pet name. Even if it was true in certain instances. When she was in human form though... all the cat comments were downright absurd and designed to pick at her temper.

Growling, she swatted his hand away irritably and twisted so that her back was to him in an attempt to blow him off. Not much of a deterant for him, unfortunately. She closed her eyes and willed herself still when she felt his fingers trail down her spine through the itchy cotton of her shirt. The perverse bastard just loooved to get her temper up, she thought with annoyance. She was beginning to wonder if maybe he was a bit more masochistic than she'd originally suspected. "I'm not in fur form. You can stop petting me anytime, you know."

"I know." He didn't stop though... and she was secretly pleased that he didn't. She wished she could take her shirt off and feel those calloused fingertips rub against her bare skin. If only the others weren't so damned close, she would have just taken the stupid garment off and let him! But, seeing as this was all she could get for now... His hand became more firm, massaging up her spine and back down, digging in a little at the base and causing her to arch a bit, lips parting in a silent groan she wouldn't give voice to. Damn him, he knew that was one of her weak spots! The massage moved upward again, rubbing gently between her shoulders blades. It was soothing now, but it did little for the pulse that threatened to explode out of her neck. She closed her eyes and relaxed a little into his touches while silently cursing him for being so good at their game.

Yoruichi's eyes flew open and she nearly growled a protest when Kisuke suddenly stopped the delicious little touches and stood up, stretching just a bit. "You know... it's been a little while since Benihime had a decent workout," he commented idly, stifling a yawn behind his hand.

"What?" she demanded through clenched teeth. He stopped just to tell her that?!

"Yeah. The poor girl should probably get a little action in before going up against Ichigo and his zanpaku-to."

Unbelievable. Just... incredibly unbelievable! First, he goes and turns her on so wickedly. Then, he ditches her just as the massage was starting to feel really good. And for what, because his zanpaku-to's a little rusty? Grraah... men! Yoruichi shook her head and directed her glare away from him. He wasn't even worthy of that at the moment.

"Well, how about it?"

His question startled her and caused her to glance warily at him from the corner of her eye. "How about what?" she demanded stiffly.

Kisuke's smile spread across his face in a slow, sensuous curve that turned her stomach to liquid heat. "I can't exactly spar alone, now can I? Besides... I think this pit needs to be broken in. Don't you agree?"

Yoruichi hesitated for a moment as she replayed the teasing words again through her head. At the last facility, they'd broken it in by... Slowly, a smile matching his for every inch of sensuous teasing came to her lips. She took the hand he held out to her and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "I think it does. Not to mention, I need to pay you back for saying I was fat... old man."

"Oo, ouch! That was a bit below the belt there. I see your claws are still nice and sharp, pussy cat."

"Call me that again and I'll scratch you up in a not-so-fun way." Kitty cat was annoying. Pussy cat was just downright insulting!

The tension between them was nearing the bursting point. It was so thick, she was surprised the others hadn't noticed it yet. She could almost see the searing wall drawn between them as if it were a tangeible thing. Slowly, Kisuke took two steps back from her, his hand gripping his cane just a little differently than before. It was a gesture she knew too well. Yoruichi ran her tongue over her lips eagerly as she sank gracefully into a crouched position, one hand touching the ground to help propel herself faster at the man across from her when the time came.

"Everyone, out!" he ordered loudly, reaching up to idly flick his hat through the air toward the tree they'd just vacated. Without the hat, she could now clearly see his eyes, and the heat there was enough to make her wriggle anxiously in her crouched position. She was rewarded by the heat flaring ever so slightly. The others better hurry and leave. She wasn't going to wait much longer.

"Huh? Why?" Jinta demanded from the hole he and Ururu were working on.

Kisuke didn't reply to the challenge. He didn't need to. Around here, when he said out it was expected that his order would be obeyed. Especially when Yoruichi came to visit. Tesai knew that and immediately dropped the spade in his hand to go collect the little ones, mumbling something about needing help checking inventory. Kisuke and Yoruichi remained poised and still, eyes locked on each other with anticipating smirks to their faces. A brief truce between them while innocent civilians remained in the same area.

"Tesai! Why'd ya pick me up? Put me DOWN! Hey! Hey, boss! BOSS!" The big man didn't pay attention the the indignantly shouting boy, who continued the entire way to the ladder. Pretty soon, Jinta's comments faded away to nothing. That meant they were alone. Good. Very good.

Yoruichi felt a low, nearly predatory laugh trickle from her throat shortly before they both sprang at each other, Kisuke whipping his still sheathed zanpaku-to where her head would have been if she hadn't ducked. He easily danced out of range from the fluid series of kicks she aimed for his chest and shoulders, whirling away in a whispering flurry of material to fall easily into a defensive pose about six feet away from her.

"I thought you were rusty," she remarked appreciatively of his speed. He'd always been wonderfully swift, and it seemed as if he hadn't lost that edge too badly.

"Or maybe it's those two pounds holding you back," he replied, knowing his words would goad her into attacking again.

Yoruichi let out a fierce shout as she launched herself into the air, foot aimed to connect with his chest. Kisuke took the blow, hands locking around her ankle as he fell onto his back with the force of their impact. He used his hold on her to send her flying over his shoulders into the ground hard enough to sting and possibly leave a bruise or two. She kicked her foot free of his grip and was on her feet in an instant, crouched and waiting for his next move.

Kisuke pushed to his feet, letting out a tiny groan as he rubbed his lower back. "Ow... that one kinda hurt."

"Aww... poor baby!"

"First, you tell me I'm old, and then you say I'm a baby. You need your eyes checked, kitten."

This time, he pushed the offensive, keeping his zanpaku-to sheathed still as he swung it near blinding quick toward her knees. Yoruichi laughed as she sprang backward nimbly, flipping from her hands to her feet before returning the favor of attacking knees by swinging her leg at his. He jumped back and she followed him, aiming a punch toward his stomach. Kisuke swerved to the left, spinning around with his own momentum in an effort to place her back to him for his next attack. He was quick... but Yoruichi was just was swift. She pivoted on one foot, using the other for a kick that would send him sprawling.

Or would have if she hadn't yelped at hard wood connecting with her ass. The surprise move caused her to lose her balance and fall to the grass hard. She hissed, rubbing her hip a little as she shot him a glare. Kisuke smiled, standing just far enough away to be out of immediate reach. His sheathed zanpaku-to rested on one shoulder idly as he waited for her to get up. She did so and immediately stopped rubbing her hip in favor of her ass. He'd spanked her on purpose, she would bet good money on it! Twisting her neck, she kept her hands loose and posture low, waiting for him to move.

Kisuke remained where he was. Waiting, patient. He wasn't going to press an attack. It was so like him to be difficult like that! "What, calling it quits already, Kisuke?" she called mockingly.

"No, just giving you a chance to recover is all," he replied nonchalantly.

"Such a gentleman," she sneered back.

"That... is something I'll never confess to being!"

She grinned and sped toward him, keeping low in hopes of making him think the attach would follow there. It worked beautifully. She waited until his shoulder was dropping to deliver a blow then sprung at the very last second into the air. Kisuke turned surprised eyes up at her shortly before she kicked him a good four feet across the grass. Yoruichi sank down again, poised and ready.

Kisuke groaned and sat up slowly, rubbing his jaw where a nice red mark puffed out. "Uh... that's gonna be a nasty bruise," he remarked before using Benihime to help push himself up. He brushed his clothing off, his hands deflating some of the bulk to show the trim body she knew was underneath. She couldn't help the quick little dart of her tongue across her lips, but she wouldn't go to him. He had to earn it first.

"Serves you right for attacking an unarmed woman with a sword," she said sharply. "Benihime will be getting enough of a workout with Ichigo. Come at me hand-to-hand... if you can."

It was a challenge, and he never was one to back down from one of her challenges. Others, perhaps, but not hers. Kisuke's eyes narrowed slightly at her words before he carefully placed his zanpaku-to on the grass with a final, almost reverent, caress to the wood. Benihime was a lucky girl to have such a man with her, Yoruichi observed with a bit of amusement. Unlike a number of Soul Reapers she could think of, he truly respected his zanpaku-to as a partner to his own abilities. Benihime wasn't just a tool for the job to him. When he was standing again, he rotated his neck to pop the joints... and then proceded to start a series of stretching routines.

Yoruichi blinked, her eyebrows furrowing sharply together. She slowly stood up from her crouched position to watch as he swung his arms back and forth, bent to touch his toes and did a few lunges in between before repeating the cycle over again. "What the hell are you doing?" she demanded irritably on his third go around the cycle. Did he have to stretch now, just as the game was getting really good?

"Limbering myself up for you," he replied. The slightly crooked grin and wiggle to his eyebrows turned the fairly innocent words into a face-slapping offense if said to any other woman. "These are preventative measures. Strenuous activity plus an out of conditioned body equals lotsa pain later on."

"I'll show you lots of pain if you don't hurry up," she muttered, placing one hand on her hip as she watched him for a few more minutes. Finally, after almost five whole minutes of him twisting himself around like an idiot, Kisuke gave his shoulders a final rotation and situated himself in a loose defensive position.

"Oh, no!" she laughed as she too sank into a defensive crouch of her own. "I was on defensive before you decided to limber up." Unlike the way he said it, she gave the phrase a more mocking quality. She was dirty, she was fully clothed and now she was irritated that he interupted their game like that. He either needed to make it up to her... or get ready for a hell of a lot of payback.

"Well, we can't BOTH be defensive," he reasoned, stating the obvious of their predicament.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes and didn't give an inch. "Obviously not. Seeing as I was the one on defense before you interupted the game, I think it's only fair that I resume the roll I was in before."

Kisuke sighed but relaxed his pose and stood up with slightly curved, defeated shoulders. "If you insist... kitten-baby."

If she had fur, she was certain it would have been standing on end from her nose to her tail. He was purposely trying to goad her into giving up her defense! That smug, insufferable... The really sad thing was, his plan was probably going to work. They knew each other's buttons so well, she sometimes wondered why they bothered with this game at all. He enjoyed her temper, she enjoyed laying him flat on his back. A perfect combination that for some reason only worked in this scenario.

"If you think that's going to work-," she began before he interupted her abruptly.

"You mean it's not... pretty kitty?" he teased. He was still standing there, looking as if they were discussing the weather in that painted sky, but that didn't mean anything with him. Kisuke almost had a sixth sense in combat. No matter how relaxed he looked, he was ready for her.

She growled low in her throat as her hips subtly shifted her body from a defensive crouch to an offensive one. "Kisuke..." she warned. The way she said his name sounded suitably irritated, but they both knew her heart was pounding with excitement.

Sweat tickled her skin shortly before being trapped in her clothing, which was becoming more and more bothersome the longer she was in it. A familiar heat was uncurling in her stomach as she looked at the confidently smirking man across from her. Two comments from him, and just like that the game was back on. It was most irritating that he was so good at it.

It was the slow curving to his lips, revealing white teeth in a bright flash, that warned her he was getting ready to drop the mother of all cat jokes on her. She waited with lethally narrowed eyes. His dark eyes were practically glowing with mirth and anticipation as he pitched his voice a little higher and said in a sing-song voice, "Here, kitty-kitty-kitty!"

Damn him! Damn him six different was, and then damn him some more! The few hairs remaining on her body snap upright with those words and made her wish she still had her claws to scratch that smirk right off his face. It was an obvious reference from when she'd been captured by a well-meaning old lady a while back and forced to share a house with fifteen other cats for a week before she was lucky enough to escape.

One of the most embarrassing and utterly humiliating experiences of her life, and he was using it as ammunition! Being called Tinkerbell and expected to drink water... She still had nightmares about it. And every time she'd ignored the old woman, that ridiculous cat call was screeched at her nonstop until she either submitted or one of the other cats answered her instead. Every day since then she regretted ever filling him in on the horrors of being a domestic cat for an elderly psycho. She wished she would have remembered then that Kisuke would use information like that for entirely wicked uses. Some friend!

It worked though, he won the defensive position from her like they both knew he would with that joke. Yoruichi let out a wildly fierce scream and threw herself at him, fists whizzing straight for the other side of his face to give him matching bruises. He dodged it just barely, chuckling as she continued to drive him back further and further across the grassy area. She continued to press her advantage of lightening quick attacks, not giving him a moment's break to counter with ones of his own.

Their game continued on as if they had all the time and energy in the world to keep at it. Punch, block, swing away, move back, jab, block and repeat. Kisuke finally managed to break away from her attacks in a movement so graceful it could have been choreographed into a ballet. Her fist struck the air where his head would have been and the first thing she did was start to scan the area for where he'd disappeared to. She hadn't even seen him move.

Her ears picked up the whipping, rustling sound of fabric being roughly pulled by a fast moving wind. Using that to track his movements, she reacted instinctively. She had enough time to turn around, eyes wide... and then she was slammed into the ground in a painful burst that sent bright sparks dancing in her vision. The air whooshed out of her lungs as she was squished between the hard ground and a hard chest roughly.

Wincing, Yoruichi managed to suck a gasp of air into her lungs, her fist connecting with his shoulder violently in an effort to get him off enough for her to breathe. "Grrraaah... Kisuke! Damned... heavy... Get UP!"

Laughing at her, nearly as breathless as she was and just as sweaty, Kisuke did as she asked but only after he pinned her wrists to the grass with his hands. She glared up at him as she relearned how to breathe and ignored the fact that he was straddling her hips. Glaring meant looking him in the eyes, which meant she didn't have to follow the sheen of sweat down the curve of his cheek... or down a jawline that desperately needed a shave... or his neck where she could see his pulse pushing against the skin. Little sensory flashes of having that pulsing beating in her mouth as she carefully sucked on it flashed through her and made the breath she'd just found again get lost in her throat.

Before she knew it, her eyes were peering down the enormous gap in the front of his shirt, watching as his heavy breathing shifted his abs in little waves of mesmerizing motion. All the activity had pulled the fabric nearly completely free from the tie belt around his waist to expose skin she knew almost as well as her own, right down to the last little scar that was barely visible on his skin.

"That... was fun," he said between breathes. "Haven't had... that much fun... in a while. Whew!"

"Easy for you to say. You weren't nearly crushed into the ground," she muttered back before twisting her body in a futile effort to free herself from him. Not that she really wanted to... and he knew that. It was all a part of their game. She simply couldn't surrender all the way without a little more of a fight.

His grin flashed again, full of pride and a little bit of smugness. "Didn't see that coming, did you?" he asked.

Honestly, she hadn't. It wasn't a standard move taught during any training practice she had ever seen, not even in eleventh company. Yoruichi turned her head away, holding his gaze out of the corner of her half closed eyes. "No... I didn't," she admitted, giving in to stroke his ego just a little bit. "Where did you pick that up?"

"Professional wrestling."

"You mean that crap on TV where men run around in gold underwear and slam chairs on each other's backs?"

"Hmm... that's not a bad idea. A couple chairs down... oof!"

He winced as she twisted her hip just hard enough into his groin to stop that particular derailment of his mental train. Their game was strenuous enough as it was, they didn't need to add furniture into the mix! The hit to his groin wasn't nearly hard enough to kill any chance of them finishing their game, not by any stretch of the imagination. She wouldn't ever do that, to him at least. Other men though... She could think of a few that deserved to have their anatomy rearranged off the top of her head. None of them were Kisuke.

"Oooh... that was so mean," he complained.

"So was body slamming me into the ground," she shot back.

His hands tightened a little around her wrists as she circled her hips more gently into his, a slow smile forming on her lips. She knew by the flare in his eyes that it was the smile he absolutely loved, the one she saved only for this part of their game or when they were alone. He'd told her once that this smile was like a living billboard of sensualness. She had taken the odd statement as the compliment it was intended to be and let rather strange imagery it conjured up slide off.

A pleasant little shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the day he'd told her that... So long ago now. She'd actually one the game that time and the reaction out of him had been... Well, intense was a very mild way of putting it. She made a little approving sound as he lowered his lips to the point of just brushing the area where neck and ear met.

"Yoruiiiichiiii," he all but purred against her skin. His hot breath clung to her damp skin and made her shift a little more insistantly beneath him. "Guess what?"

"Do I have to?" she murmured shortly before she flicked her tongue out to taste the sweat on his neck. It was too much temptation for her to resist, having his skin so very close to her mouth. She was rewarded with a feather light kiss right above her pulse followed quickly by another one more firmly pressed to the bend where neck and shoulder met. It felt wonderful... but this wasn't what she was looking for. Gentleness was boring. He insisted it wasn't... but she always got her way in the end.

She made a protesting little whine as he sat back up abruptly, a wicked look on his face. Yoruichi arched a brow, waiting for him to tell her what he wanted to. Her body continued to curve and move slightly, an unconscious effort on her part to maybe encourage him to forget words and get back to what they'd just been doing. It was sort of working, if the suddenly sharp intake of breath was any indication, but Kisuke could be just as stubborn as she was when he wanted to be. Apparently, this was one of those times where he did.

"I think this makes twenty-three wins for me now."

Yoruichi couldn't help the smile or the little laugh that came from her at that unsurprising confession. "And?" she prompted. Gloating was well and good when backed up with evidence, but the simple truth remained that twenty-three battle victories did _not_ mean the end of the war. He could brag all he wanted about those mini victories. It would make her own bragging rights all the more sweeter for it.

"And... nothing. Just thought you should know." Kisuke shrugged before giving her the boyish smile he knew made her melt like chocolate in the sun. He said fighting in next to nothing was cheating. That smile of his was dirty pool for sure. It made them even in her book.

Shaking her head slightly as she rolled her eyes, she managed to twist her wrists just enough so that their palms were pressed together again, fingers locking in an automatic ease that came from years of knowing each other. It was an act that had originated during their friendship, one that predated any deeper emotions or physical needs that had soon followed. Before him, she hadn't been much on holding hands or other such tiny displays of affection. It seemed pointless and trivial compared to touch just for the hell of it. Kisuke was the one to break her of that, as well as a few other things she had originally deemed unnecessary in terms of a relationship. Oh, she wasn't completely on board with those little displays of affection for just anyone. Even though she could now admit that quick kisses on the cheek or a casual arm draped over her shoulder weren't as silly as she'd thought them to be, she couldn't see herself allowing any other man but him doing that to her. It only seemed right with him... and that ridiculous smile of his.

"Pride cometh before the fall," she reminded him. "So, are we going to see this game through or what? You still have a pit to finish decorating." Not that she wanted to end their time together so quickly. They didn't get to see each other as much as she wanted in recent years, and it was due to this that she was now impatient to get on with it. Having him so close again... looking so thoroughly mussed up from their sparring... and all alone... With the way he was sitting on her, she could tell what kind of reaction her body invoked in him. How he could continue to remain so casually in control was impressive but very frustrating for her own mood.

Kisuke's eyes rolled upward as he studied the brown splotches still dotting the perfectly painted sky. She could almost see him mentally checking off how much work still remained to be done and knew without asking that it was longer than he'd hoped for this stage of construction. "Yeah... I know," he said on a wistful sigh. "I really hate not having enough time anymore."

"Then stop wasting it," Yoruichi urged, her voice low and a little breathy. She disentangled one of their hands and he let her without trying to recapture it. Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt and used it to haul him down to her again. He came willingly enough, planting his free hand into the grass to keep from crushing her again. She rolled her body underneath his, enjoying the shiver that worked itself down his spine but didn't show in the playful spread of his lips. He moved a little lower, teasing her by coming within an inch of kissing her and stopping at the last second, making her moan her frustration at his stalling. "Come on, lover, don't you want to make me purr?"

"Oo, that was a bad one," Kisuke said, his nose wrinkling a little while his words brushed across her lips. Still, he did nothing. The patience on this man was insane!

"As if you have any room to complain!" He really didn't either, as far as she was concerned. Their lips touched briefly, almost as if they both took deep breaths at the same time and the light grazing resulted by accident. It hardly qualified as a kiss, which is what she really wanted out of him. It still managed to make her lips tingle in response. She tried again, arching upward to try and get that delicious heat back. Once again, he drew back slightly with eyes that laughed at her from barely an inch away. He was teasing her, pulling back in order to make her reach for him. He loved her as the aggressor. The thought was one that made her smile as she played along, using her grip on his shirt to pull her upper back off the ground and press her mouth to his bruising hard.

Kisuke's free hand moved to support her back, his fingers digging in just hard enough to dance the line between feeling good and hurting. It was perfect, just what she wanted. Yoruichi nipped at his lower lip hard and followed it quickly with a delicate lick of her tongue before she pushed it into his mouth in one swift move of dominance. His response was instantaneous and counteractive to her bid for control, offering her just enough of a fight to make it more interesting. She lifted her hips to his, using his momentray distraction from the movement to reposition her legs so that she was now on her knees while still being bent over. He wasn't aware of the subtle change in position, which was excellent for her little plan. The movement had brought a groan from him and a sudden dueling of tongues that very nearly made her forget what she was about to do herself.

Kissing him was like drinking an entire bottle of wine to herself. It was a heady, giddy thing that damn near overwhelmed her at time. When her tongue darted out, his followed to continue the fight before retreating as she pressed the attack again. They kissed like it was the very last time they ever would, and there were a time or two in the past where she honestly thought it would be. But, she was forgetting the plan. The plan was for a little retribution, and getting lost in one of Kisuke's mind numbing kisses wasn't part of that plan. Not for now at least. She allowed it for a few more seconds, bringing both of her hands up to clutch at the frabric still partially covering his chest. Just a little longer... she would enjoy the kiss just a bit longer... and now... She smiled against his mouth as she made her move, using her legs now planted firmly on the ground to surge forward, bowling him backward as her hands aided to increase his momentum by shoving roughly. The grip on his shirt helped to pull her over with him, and Yoruichi tore her mouth away just before his back impacted the ground to avoid possibly biting her own tongue. She completed the maneuver by swinging her legs around to either side of his and effectively pinning his hips to the ground.

"Hey!" Kisuke's startled yelp was followed closely by his head thunking back into the grass. Yoruichi grinned at his surprised expression to find their positions had been reversed entirely. That surprise quickly melted away as his gaze moved to where she sat across his hips now, her fingers splaying over the expanse of skin now fully exposed by his loose shirt. The look he gave her said clearly that he liked this show of dominance just as much as she enjoyed delivering it. She loved the way her dark skin looked against his much paler one, loved the fleshy give of muscle under the press of her fingertips. Those muscles were just as firm as she last remembered them to be, something that the loose, bulky clothing he prefered failed to show off.

Kisuke's hands went straight to her fully clothed thighs, fingers spreading so that his thumbs just barely teased along the insides of her legs. She bit her lower lip hard when his fingers slipped underneath her knees, teasing at the little pulse point just behind that softer bit of flesh. It made her already heightened nerves zing sharply in response, encouraging her hips to grind down into his more urgently. His eyes sparked even hotter as they both suddenly lunged at each other, mouths crashing together hard as she met him half way. Her hands frantically tugged his shirt away, just as his hands abandoned her thighs in order to finally get that horrible cotton shirt off of her.

Yoruichi hid her triumphant smile in the curve of his neck as his hands moved firmly up the column of her spine, blunt nails pressing into her skin hard enough to make her moan and arch away from his mouth and into his hands. She leaned forward again, kissing him just a little gentler than before in order the taste him better. He let her completely control the kiss, satisfied to simply lie back and enjoy the ride while she did all the work. He made a half-hearted attempt to try and flip their position again just so she couldn't claim total victory without a token protest. Hhis pathetic rebellion quickly ended when she jerked his belt free before letting her fingers slip just below the waist of his pants, exploring that lovely dip of flesh formed by his hip bones. This was one of the spots on him that guaranteed her complete control over him. She wasn't disappointed in the way his hands suddenly gripped her hips hard, muscles tensing briefly before releasing in a slow shudder. The soft moan he gave vibrated from his mouth into hers and was echoed back again as she moaned in turn. His boast about how many times he'd claimed victory meant nothing to her. It didn't matter how many times Kisuke won the battle.

She _always_ won the war.


	2. Snapshot Two

**Perfect**

It was that time again. Kisuke smiled, cracking his eyes open sleepily in the near pitch darkness to his room. His back was to the window, so it wasn't the subtle lightening of the sky that told him it was about to start. It was a natural instinct, as well as the newspaper he'd read the day prior, that told him when to expect it. He forced himself to uncurl under the covers, yawning as he scratched his messed up hair. He couldn't believe he'd almost slept through it. The one day each year that he loved just for what it was, and he'd almost missed it because of the purring lump of fur that had been curled up against his chest. The lump of fur gave a curious, slightly annoyed trill of sound at the loss of his body heat, yellow eyes slanting open just enough to glare at him like it was his fault this event chose just then to occur. Fine, let her be grumpy and angry with him. Make up sex with Yoruichi was an amazing thing.

"Kisuke?" the cat asked, her voice deeper and more masculine sounding due to the feline vocal capacity. He adored Yoruichi in whatever shape she was in. Normally, if they were sharing a bed, he preferred her human skin for obvious reasons... but she'd dragged herself in so late last night she'd simply collapsed on the bed. He had been the one to pull the purring mass of black fur to his chest so he could pet her. It had been as automatic as caressing smooth, tanned skin just to reach out and stroke coal dark fur that was softer than down. The only difference between the two forms (besides the physical) was that the human form tended to resist casual snuggling just a little bit more than the feline. People complained about cats being cold, unaffectionate creatures. With Yoruichi, she was more affectionate as a cat than a human.

He ran a reassuring hand down her spine, smile widening as she arched backward on the messed up bed and gave another little trill, this time one of pleasure at the touch. Her yellow eyes opened completely as he stood up and cracked the window open just enough to bring in the damp smells of rain washed earth and early flowers starting to bloom. It was early spring, so the air that flowed in was still a bit cold. He liked it, that combination of winter sharpness with the signs of fresh, happy spring intermingled with it. The two most opposing seasons rolled together in one atmosphere. He stood in front of that narrowly cracked window with a sky that was just barely beginning to grey and stretched his arms over his head as another enormous yawn pulling his mouth open. It felt good to suck the smells and textures of rain air into his lungs.

Kisuke didn't bother with any footwear as he turned and began to walk toward the door. He didn't bother with any more clothing than he was already wearing, which was light weight at best in the chill air. He shuffled over to the sliding door, opening it just enough to let himself out. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Yoruichi was sitting upright on his pillow, yellow eyes glowing with the knowledge of where he was going. "I'll be back," he called back softly. She did a fairly good snort of disbelief for a cat at the statement. They both knew he wouldn't be back until it was done and over with.

The store was dark and quiet out in front of the living area. The dull thrum of electric refridgeration buzzed the air, but it wasn't strong enough to drown out the sounds of the rain. Rain drummed in an orchestrated irregularity that sounded like utter chaos until one simply blocked out trying to hear any form of human melody and allowed nature to create its own. The heavy drops created a different kind of percussion on each item they landed on. A dull, dead plop in the plastic canvas covering the patio set in the back yard area. A sharper pink on the metal roof of the potting shed. A steady, rumbling sound against the roof over their heads, like the groaning of some jet engine coming in low over the city. It tapped and snapped on the cement sidewalk, but hit softly against the large bushes and plants in Tesai's garden. It was a beautiful percussion ensemble, one he usually enjoyed with a certain black cat curled up in his lap. Yoruichi's purr was a different kind of music, but it complimented the rain perfectly with its low, contralto roll.

He found his way through the dimness of the kitchen to the door leading out back behind the shop. It was completely fenced in with high wooden slats that hade been painted a bright rusted red color. The door itself was wide and made of glass that slid back to allow entrance on a small patio area covered with a canvas awning. Kisuke felt his lips curve upward at the sight of the rain coming down, glad that it wasn't just a light misting of water onto the earth like last year. The first rain of spring should be something impressive. He wasn't sure why he thought that, but he did. Taking care to be quiet so he didn't wake any of the other sleepers up, he undid the latch on the door and pushed it back before stepping outside. Immediately his toes curled up in protest to the cold cement under them. The coolness made all the rough spots and sharper pebbles stand out more sharply against his feet. Crisp air made the breath he expelled fog up and puff away in the wind that was blowing ever so slightly. He let a sigh that was one of complete satisfaction, squinting into the greyness that was made from storm clouds covering up the sun trying to break through. Little sprays of moisture blew in onto his clothing and face, mocking the awning's use completely.

Kisuke reached out and caught the drips that splattered steadily from the awning edge, watching as the droplets gathered in the creases of his palm. Specks of dirt, dead leaves and bark were brought down with a few of the drops to make little dark spots against his skin. The water itself was a little cool, not quite freezing cold but he knew he'd be shivering later. Still... this was his favorite day. Every year, he did this and he wasn't about to stop now because it was uncomfortable this year. He could already hear Yoruichi telling him he was a fool shortly before muttering that she didn't understand why he always did this, but if he felt he must...

And he did feel he must. The first rain of spring always had the best tasting raindrops. Catching raindrops on his tongue was something he'd done for as long as he could remember. It was as familiar to him as his own skin, a habit as adored as sable fur or tan skin next to his. He ignored her every time she told him he looked ridiculous doing it. It was a simple type of pleasure he would probably always endulge in. Simple pleasures were wonderful commodities and should never be tossed idly aside. They were what made the everyday more interesting. He caught her trying it once, tasting the rain during a late autumn downpour. She had claimed it was only because she was curious why the hell he'd want to drink dirty water. First of all, she made a mistake of tasting fall rain, which was definately not the same caliber as spring rain. Secondly, rain water wasn't dirty. Well... okay, yeah it was technically, but it was mostly a clean kind of dirt, not the unclean kind she implied it was. Rain carried all the flavors of this world in it. The rich warmth of the earth the moisture had been collected in. The salty tang of ocean water with a tracery of fish. The slightly sweet flavoring of dew drops that had pearled along grass blades. The dank, murky undertones of pollution and air chemicals.

Sake was almost exactly like rain water. It started off mild, developed a warmth that only nature could provide and then burned as it went down in the unmistakeable touch of man made elements. Until he'd tried the alcohol, he'd thought there was nothing that compared to tipping his head back and letting the sky fall into his mouth. Sake was good, and he enjoyed it on occassion... but it was a pale likeness to the first spring rain. Nothing could taste or feel quite like it. There was something different in this rain, something no other rain during the rest of the year would ever have. Maybe it was because this rain bordered on the cusp of winter and spring, the first a season of cold death for nature and the second a rebirthing of all that had died. Rain wasn't just the taste of the world on his tongue. It was the cycle of the living and the dead as well.

The first step onto the damp grass was a welcoming for his bare feet. The grass was green due to careful care by Tesai, springy and tickling against his toes. He smiled, digging his feet into those soft blades just hard enough to feel the dirt squish underneath. Water pooled in the little dents he made and soaked the bottom hem of his pants to the point where he could see his skin through the thin, clinging fabric. Kisuke finished the step that would take him out from under the awning and into the wonder of the weather he loved. Immediately, the rain embraced him, hitting him so fast he couldn't remember which area of his skin caught the first drop. It wove through his hair, down every curve and angle of his face. It invaded the cotton of his shirt, worming its way through the weave to touch the skin of his upper body. He continued to walk in the rain, head angled back and eyes closed with a delighted smile spreading across his cheeks.

He stopped when he came to the middle of the small lawn area, hands limp and relaxed at his sides. This was perfect. He couldn't feel the chill in his flesh any longer, the burn of the cold air a welcomed pain. It was an amazing thing to feel every breath in and out so clearly, a reminder of how very alive he was still. The need to be alive, and to live, was something that would never die in him. Attempts had been made to do just that, but none of them had come close to working. The first rain was like nature's way of proving to the cold winter months that it too would survive and remain alive. It was a declaration of spring's strength to stand up against something as dominating as winter and basically flick it off. Spring wasn't just soft, pretty things. Spring had some amazing gall to come immediately after winter. Summer and fall were cowards compared to that.

Kisuke continued to revel in the downpour for what felt like forever. What did time matter when there was something so glorious as this to get lost in? It was a shame Yoruichi wouldn't join him. He could understand her reluctance though, considering the ungodly hour she crawled into his bed. Normally, she was the one up early while he continued to pretend the sun wasn't shining through the blinds yet. He sighed again and returned his thoughts to the wonderful, sweet rain that permeated every fiber of his senses. Only rain could truly touch in ever sense in the body. The sound of it was music to his ears. The sight of it falling like thin strands of silver was breath taking. The feel of it, thicker than the purified tap water, coating his skin. The smell of everywhere it was before deciding this was the perfect home for it. And.. the taste. Still smiling, though truthfully the smile had expanded to the point of being a wide grin, Kisuke opened his mouth for that first taste of spring rain.

He wasn't disappointed in the least. It was everything he had expected it to be and then some. Everything he associated with the rain was now on his tongue and sliding down his throat. That faintly gritty feel of where it had been sucked from foreign dirt. The sea tang of far off ocean waves. A green taste that reminded him of freshly picked beans. And the murky, thick coating of factory smog that was nothing but carbon and chemicals. It was delicious, and he really didn't want to stop. Unfortunately, the crick in his neck was disagreeing with what his heart wanted. He may have said he didn't care about discomfort, but he needed his back in good shape if he expected to move around at all. Slowly, he straightened his neck and head, eyes still closed and savoring his simple pleasure.

"I can't believe you still do this."

Kisuke turned partially, his feet sliding easily over the slicked grass, just enough to see Yoruichi huddled under the awning. She was wearing his thicker shirt and sandals, a bright red umbrella tucked between her folded arms. The look on her face was exactly as he expected; irritation mixed with amusement. She'd told him once that he was the only person who could make her laugh while she strangled him. He was okay with that and took it as a compliment even though it was meant as a friendly complaint. Tossing her his best boyish grin, he extended his arms out to indicate the shower around him, his hair plastered to his face and neck. "Isn't it gorgeous?" he declared.

"You won't be thinking so when you're sick in bed! Do you have any idea how damnably cold it is out here?"

He shrugged his indifference to the temperature, chuckling when he heard her annoyed growl of "impossible man" under her breath. Her golden eyes snapped with irritation toward what she called his childish antics. Growing older but not up, that was his motto. His smile softened to one that was a little more intimate, meant only for her and for everything they were together. It reflected how much he appreciated her and everything she was to him. This was a smile that reflected on all the good times, hard times and times in between that they'd shared together for so long. The emotion behind it was deeper than the word 'love' could hope to encompass, an emotion that had no words just simple feeling. Yoruichi's face softened ever so slightly at the look, her eyes dropping as he extended his hand toward her, motioning with his head that he wanted her to join him. Even if it was under an umbrella, he still wanted to share his simple pleasure with her in some way.

Yoruichi, muttering just a little louder so that he definately caught a "can't believe I'm doing this" and "he better heat my milk up later on, or I'm going to be pissed", popped the umbrella open sharply and stepped out into the rain. She walked over to him, eyes set firmly with skepticism and eyebrow quirked in challenge. She was waiting for him to show her what was so special about his little joy. "Well, you got me out here. Are you satisfied now?"

Kisuke kissed her cheek quickly to thank her for allowing him to share this with her, delighting in the blush that broke through her dark skin at the contact. She rarely blushed, and he tried any way he could to get that reaction more often out of her. Whether through little acts like that or whispering something incredibly dirty in her ear, he enjoyed her blush. He stepped back a little, cupping his hands together to catch the rain in his hands. It didn't take long before he had a decent amount cupped like it was the most fragile and sacred of things. Her eyebrows furrowed tightly as he held his treasure out for her. "Taste it," he directed.

"It's water. I know what water tastes like."

"This isn't just water. Come on, don't be stubborn."

"Kisuke-"

"Yoruichi?"

Sighing as golden eyes rolled with resignation, she carefully kept the umbrella in place as she leaned forward. Her lips brushed against his fingers lightly as she took a sip of the rain water. Slowly, she drew back, sucking on her lips thoughtfully. Kisuke waited, sensing his victory in the way she hesitated, obviously confused. "Huh," she finally murmured. "I never would have thought it, but..."

"Yes?" he prompted eagerly.

"I think you gave the rain some flavor."

That cracked him up, made him laugh even though his body was once again beginning to register the cold. "See, I told you spring rain was different from any other rain!" he gloated, pleased with her amazed reaction.

Yoruichi shoved his shoulder playfully before wiping her hands on his dry shirt. "You were right, now can we please get inside? It's cold out and your starting to turn a little blue."

Kisuke's grin flashed wicked as he moved lightening fast. She had time only for a startled yelp before he had his arms around her and mouth pressed to hers in a quick, hard kiss. She shoved him away from her, eyes practically burning with her ire as his movement had made her drop the umbrella to the soft earth. The rain had done its job quickly in soaking her to the core so that her dark hair now looked raven black instead of deep violet. "You are such an ass!" she shouted at him. "_Look_ at me, I'm as drenched as you are! Grrraa!"

"Isn't it great though?" he teased, laughing as she landed a nice, hard punch to his shoulder. "Aren't you glad you dropped that umbrella?"

"Yes, I am. It'll only get in the way when I beat the snot out of you!" She shoved him away again as he made to hug her, scowling as she stormed back under the awning. She snatched the umbrella on the way, cursing as her sandals made some rather interesting squishing noises. "I hope you get sick, Kisuke. That way I can laugh at you as you suffer from your precious ran!"

"Aw, you don't really mean that!"

"And I am _not_ making you chicken soup either!" The last threat was punctuated with the glass door sliding home sharply.

Kisuke continued to laugh as he did a lazy spin in the rain, tilting his head back again to enjoy it just a moment longer. It was beginning to ease up, the clouds finally deciding the sun could have its turn. He couldn't feel his nose, fingertips or toes, but the numbness wasn't anything compared to the joy he got out of the conditions behind it. This had to be the best first rain he'd had in many, many years. If he caught a cold from this, it would be worth it a million times over just because he'd finally shared this simple pleasure with someone he adored more than the rain itself. Finally, as the sun was beginning to heat his back, he went inside and left a trail of dripping water and footprints all the way back to his room. Another set of drippings had preceded his, but they didn't lead to his room. He smiled when he heard the shower at the far end of the hall going and saw a sliver of yellow light under the door. Briefly, he considered maybe sneaking in and joining her... but it was probably best to let her fume for a little bit longer, for his own safety.

He opened the door to his room, shivering as the coolness trapped inside enveloped him. Yoruichi hadn't shut the window before she'd gone out to him and now that he wasn't in the rain he was really beginning to feel the near painful freezing that shook his body. Kisuke shut the window and quickly changed clothing, tossing his soaking wet articles into the hamper by his bathroom door. He probably should have taken a hot shower, but showering meant losing the wonderful scent of rain from his skin and hair. After such a perfect first rain, he wasn't about to do that, even if it meant for sure he'd wake up with a cold.

Sure as sunshine, when he finally did open his eyes on a burst of noon day light, Kisuke could already feel the headache and mucus building up in his nose and throat. He groaned, sniffling as he rolled his back to the invasive sunlight, rubbing his throbbing eyes with one hand. Man, did he fell awful! Ururu was the first to come check on him and was the one to report to everyone else that he was sick. Yoruichi had wasted no time in sweeping into his room to sit on the floor by his low mattress.

Kisuke cracked a bleary eye open, sniffling hard through a nose that was already red and sore from blowing. "Say it," he groaned out, the sound a combination of his own physical misery as well as the misery of the gloating that was about to come.

Leaning forward with a smug smirk twisting her lips and golden eyes glittering triumphantly, Yoruichi said in a low voice, "I. Told. You. So."

"Are you happy now?"

"Very much so."

Nodding, he quickly covered his mouth as a rough series of sneezes racked through him. She waited, looking at him like he was infected with the plague, while he situated himself again. Kisuke blew his nose and snuggled down further into the warmth of his blankets. "Good, 'cause I'm happy, too."

Yoruichi shook her head, eyes closed as an amused smile replaced the smug one. "I'm still not making you soup," she reconfirmed as she rose and left his room, ignoring his pleading whine and puppy dog eyes completely. The door shut behind her and left him groaning at how cold the woman he adored could be.

Yoruichi was true to her word though. She didn't make him any chicken soup, leaving the job to Tesai. However, she _did_ bring it to him, along with a fresh box of extra soft tissues and a decongestant medication. She remained with him while he finished the soup and took his medicine before she tucked him back in after checking his face for signs of a fever.

Kisuke would have smiled if his head didn't feel so big and sore. His nose was sore, his throat ached, his head felt like it was ready to burst and his ego was a little bruised... But it was easily the best day ever.

Not only did he have a perfect first rain, he also had the perfect mate to share his simple pleasures with. Plus... when he got better, he owed his perfect mate some really perfect make up sex. He had to be the luckiest guy in the world.

* * *

AUTHOR'S ASIDE: The image of Kisuke in the rain wouldn't go away. I kinda wrote this on my break at work, so it very well could suck. Hope it doesn't. 


	3. Snapshot Three

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I swear to God this was supposed to be just a cute, simple little fic. It was supposed to be something involving the Jimmy Buffet song Knees Of My Heart, because I think that song is very Urahara-like. But... the plot bunnies were feeling a bit smutty this evening, so what was SUPPOSED to be a kid friendly update has now turned into a MATURE one. See the caps at the end of that last sentence? The ones that say MATURE? Okay, good... Carry on.

* * *

**Alternatives** It was quiet in the shop. That was a most unusual thing, especially for summer. Usually, the store would be crammed packed with school kids coming in for some ice cream to beat the heat. Mothers would be buying beach toys and snack foods to keep the young ones quiet on the drive to the beach. It was especially unexpected considering the area was experiencing a massive heat wave. The sales on ice bags alone would have been worth the owner's effort. But today, there was a sign on the front of the building that said 'closed' in official red lines... and all those lines were nearly obscured behind the brightly painted suns and daisies someone had embellished the sign with. 

Inside the shop, the lights were off and electric fans were working hard to cool the air. Two of them were placed in the windows of the front while another six spun overhead. The only thing they succeded in doing was blowing puffs of dust out from under the shelves and stirring the hair on two figures stretched out on the floor as close to the ice cream case as possible. The two figures looked all the world like corpses, neither one moving in the least. They were both on their stomachs, legs spread and arms stretched out, their heads just a bare inch from touching. The overhead fans ruffled their hair, hers a dark plum color that passed for black in the dimness and his a light blond. A green and white striped beach hat was turned up on its side on the floor, obviously having rolled off one of their heads.

"For the last time, Kisuke," Yoruichi groaned, the effort of speaking in the unbearable heat of one hundred and one degree temperatures showing in her voice. Irritation and exhaustion came through as well, and had her eyes been open those same emotions would have been mirrored there. "Fix the damn air conditioning."

"Nnh... too sleepy," he mumbled back, his nose twitching as a dust bunny blew by it. "Too hot to do anything anyway."

"Fix it, for the love of all that is sacred."

"...Don't wanna. What's today?"

Yoruichi cracked an eye open and instantly regretted the slight action as a sweat drop slithered from her eyebrow into the creases and stung. She blinked the salty fluid away, unwilling to raise her hand to do the job. The floor, a cool cement that was sealed over to a high gloss, was sticking to about ninety percent of her body. She'd wanted to kill Kisuke when he'd bought her the non-existant bikini, knowing he'd only done it on the very thin hope she would wear it. Right now, it was the next best thing to being completely naked.

He wasn't much better. Swim trunks and a sleeveless t-shirt that sported margarita drinking parrots on it, and that was it. Not even his hat remained for very long. She shifted, hissing as her hot skin pulled away from where it felt like it had melted into the floor. She hated summer. It was especially worse in furry form. Oh, it was wonderful to lie in the sun with a cool ocean breeze blowing in, but this dry, oppressive AIR CONDITIONER FREE scenario was miserable. She was tired, she was covered in sweat and she had a piece of stretchy material that kept trying to ride up her ass! Sighing wearily, Yoruichi tried pleading with the man lying across from her one more time. "Please, Kisuke, I'm begging now. And it's Thursday, why?"

"Rats," he muttered, rolling over languidly onto his back. "Tesai won't be back until Sunday. He took the kiddies to the beach for a few days."

"And what does _that_ have to do with you fixing the air conditioning?"

"He's the one who knows how. I don't touch that thing."

Yoruichi groaned in frustration and propped her head up on her hands so that she was now staring at his face from and upside down angle. "You, the master technician? You, the man who can diagnose a malfunctioning gigai simply by looking? You destroy Hollows easily, keep two children in line and run a successful business. You can do those things and more... but you can't fix a damn air conditioner? Unbelievable!"

He gave her a watered down version of his lopsided grin, lifting himself just enough to brush a kiss to her chin. "I love it when you talk about how brilliant I am," he teased, wincing as she found enough energy to swat his shoulder.

This was insane! She was going to melt away on the floor of his shop, and it was all because he spent more time tinkering around with Soul Reaper gear than he did with mortal machinery. And here she thought he cared about her... How hard could it be to fix an air conditioner anyway? Letting out an impatient sigh, Yoruichi dropped her head to the floor again. If it were easy, he would know how to do it. "I'm not staying here all summer without an air conditioner!"

"Okay. I'm sure that old lady would loooove to have her Tinkerbell ba- OUCH!" He winced before casting her a mild glare as she yanked his hair hard in retribution for bringing THAT incident up. He was playing a very dangerous game by trying to irritate her further. As if sensing her patience was very thin at the moment, he reached up and untangled her fingers from his hair, bringing her hand to his lips and brushing little kisses across each of her knuckles. Normally, the very sensual act would have made her libido do backflips but all she could think about now was that there was no way she was going to have sweaty sex with him when she was drowing in her own sweat by simply lying on the floor.

Yoruichi took her hand from his and used it to tip his chin back so she could properly level her glare at him. He smiled, eyes half closed as he waited for her to speak. '"I swear, Kisuke, if you don't do something to cool me off right now I am walking out that door and going home with the first man that says he has central air," she threatened. It was only meant in half jest. She honestly didn't care if it was a man or woman, just so long as they promised her a slice of frozen heaven.

Kisuke arched a brow, his smile widening wickedly. "Well... I can't let _that_ happen, now can I?" he drawled. Sighing, he moved to get up and she rolled onto her side to let him, pleased that he was finally going to take a peek at the broken contraption sitting in the middle of the shop floor. She resettled herself on her stomach and made a mental note to rock his world later when she was properly cooled off.

She yelped in surprise and twisted around sharply, her fists curled angrily, when she felt something freezing cold and wet slide down her spine. "What in the hell are you doing?" she shouted fiercely, even though her skin was silently screaming its thanks to the man kneeling by her side with an impudent grin on his face.

Kisuke wiggled his eyebrows suggestively... and held up the ice cube he'd run down her spine between his thumb and first finger. "Cooling you off, of course," he stated, nodding down to the bag of ice he'd pulled from the freezer units next to them. How she hadn't heard him open the doors was beyond her. She'd blame it on the fact that the heat was obviously cooking her brain inside her skull. And she was going to ignore the sensual slide of melted water slipping its way down her spine and around her hip, too.

"I meant you should do that by fixing the air conditioner."

"But this way is soooo much more fun, don't you think? Besides, I don't wanna risk mucking around with the unit only to have it break further. We can make do until Tesai comes back."

Yoruichi cocked a brow at him and answered his smile with a sly one of her own. He was evil. Pure, perverted evil. The familiar heat that only he could stir up began to coil low in her stomach as she slowly stretched out onto her back again, resting her head on her folded arms and adjusting her limbs in such a way that it caused him to groan under his breath. "If you think you have enough ice to last until then, I'm not going to stop you," she answered, giving him permission to carry on with his attentions.

She felt his fingers pull the string tying the bikini top in back, sparing an extra caress from the base of her spine upward once there wasn't anything to interupt the curve of her smooth skin. The feel of his calloused hand on her back made her let out a sigh that bordered close to a purr of pleasure. That purr turned into a sharply inhaled hiss at the frigid touch of an ice cube to the back of her neck, following the trail his hand had just taken in reverse. Water rivulets from the melting cube tickled into the hairs on her neck, slipped down along her ribs until they raised goosebumps along her breasts and dampened the edge of her bikini bottoms as he swirled it around the base of her spine in lazy figure eights.

The ice melted completely under the combined heat of her skin and his fingertips. Yoruichi arched into the palm that massaged across her shoulders. She felt him shift behind her, straddling the backs of her thighs so he could lean over her, blowing across the dampened hair on her neck and causing her to shiver. The rustling sound of plastic and the slight clicking of ice on ice warned her he was reloading shortly before she felt his lips press against the nape of her neck, tongue flicking out to lick the water droplets and sweat from her skin. His mouth was hot, almost scorchingly so against her already warm flesh. He continued to press open mouthed kisses down between her shoulder blades and along the faint line of her vertebrae. His drug-like kisses were doing what he intended them to by arousing her, but it was still much too hot to properly enjoy this type of activity.

She was about to say so when she felt the ice cube on her neck again, following closely behind each burning kiss he left on her spine. Yoruichi moaned, her hips circling back in search of his own as she curved her back closer to both his lips and the ice cubes. "I fail to see how that's helping to cool me off," she commented, her voice coming out thick with the desire he was fanning up inside her.

"Mmm... trust me, it is," he replied with his mouth still pressed where her back met the curves of her ass.

"I doubt it, but it feels nice."

Kisuke gave a gasp of mock offense, his weight lifting off her thighs and his mouth pulling away from her as he crouched above her. "What? You're telling me you don't notice a difference?" he teased. "This is a proven scientific method for regulating body temperature."

Yoruichi cracked an eye open and arched her brow, a slow smile curling her lips as she played along with the wide eyed shock he so convincingly faked. "I think I need some more convincing of that very scientific method." The bag shifted again as he pulled out more ice.

His hand slid down along her hip, fingers maneuvering between her flesh and the floor. She rolled over when he tugged on her hip, her arms stretching over her head and forcing the loose triangles covering her breasts to ride up. She grinned when he made a pleased little hum of sound, his eyes never leaving her body as he reached for another cube of ice. Kisuke leaned forward, balancing on his knees and one arm, and kissed her lips. His tongue teased along her lower lip, encouraging her to open up for him. She did so, and as soon as his tongue swept into her mouth an ice cube moved from her mouth to his. The heat of his mouth and the feel of that slowly melting chunk of freezing relief was a very distracting thing. Yoruichi moaned, one arm rising to circle his neck while the other pushed his shirt up to explore his stomach adn chest.

Her own stomach jerked when she felt the familiar touch of ice to it, Kisuke tracing random patterns over her skin as he continued to explore her mouth. The unbearable heat was quickly being supressed in favor of having more of his skin against hers. Yoruichi followed him as he leaned back, keeping one arm around his neck so that the kiss was never broken. Her knees were bent on either side of where he knelt between her legs, her bare toes curling against the cool cement floor as they finally broke apart to catch their breaths.

"See?" he prompted. "It's most effective, isn't it?"

"Mmm, very. But if it's so effective... shouldn't we be using the same method on you?"

The smile he flashed her was nothing but pervy joy at her teasing comment. Kisuke leaned away from her just enough to pull his shirt off and toss it aside, his eyes lowering to watch as she traced her way along the very familiar tightness of his skin. She loved touching him, loved feeling the much harder muscles shift under such baby soft skin. His skin was even softer than hers she imagined, thought she couldn't prove if it was natural or due to lotions. An occassional scar interupted the softer textures with a smoother, slightly more raised one that enticed her fingers to explore it completely before moving on. She reached for the ice moments before he did, pulling out a few pieces before lying back on the floor.

Kisuke followed her down, his mouth descending on hers as they simultaneously touched each other using the ice cubes. He went low, rubbing it along the bend of her hip bone before swirling it toward her naval. She went higher, sweeping it in a long line from just behind his ear and down along his collar bone. They continued this, reaching for more ice when the one they'd been using was completely melted, until he seemed to have enough of it and lifted her off her back.

Yoruichi bit his lower lip as he came to his knees, pushing her back up against the frosted door of the display case behind her. It was an unexpected jolt that made her arch away from it and into him briefly. The bag of ice and the oppressive heat were completely forgotten when his mouth dropped to her neck, nipping and licking as she wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned. Air conditioner be damned, this was a _much_ better way to beat the heat!

Later, they sat together on the aisle floor, eating prepackaged ice cream cones that he'd taken from the case that still bore a perfect imprint of her back and ass in the frosted portions. He had his swim shorts on again while she opted to wear his ridiculous shirt instead of the bikini. Every once in a while as they licked at their ice cream, their eyes would meet and mischievous grins broke across their faces. Yoruichi tracked down an errant drop of melting vanilla with her tongue and grinned when she heard Kisuke snicker next to her. The bag of ice was now a melted puddle on the floor that would need to be cleaned up later, but for now they were content simply to be together, enjoying the after glow of unexpected sex in the middle of his shop. Every time she glanced at him, and he at her, they would share a grin and a chuckle or two, knowing very well what exactly the other one was thinking:

Neither of them could go down the frozen food aisle again without flashing back on this alternative use for the ice cream display case.


	4. Snapshot Four

Their relationship was one with very few rules:

1. Check in on occassion to make certain both parties hadn't a) suffered an embarassing death by choking on some random rodent, and b) forgotten to shower while getting preoccupied with a new project.

2. Respect the fact that certain questions probably shouldn't be asked. Never ask why the toaster oven needs a rocket attached to it. Never ask whether the person's other form ever went into heat. Chances were more than likely that neither party really wanted to know the answer.

3. Eat whatever Ururu cooks. Smile and lie about how tasty it is while carefully sneaking the charred lumps onto the other's plate... and then wonder why it is that no matter how much food is unload from the plate, there always seems to be more.

4. No singing in the shower. Ever. It made small animals die upon hearing, caused children to weep and was surely written as an act of taboo somewhere in the world. Singing implied a talent that was pleasing to the ear. What happened in the shower was neither talent nor pleasing.

5. No doing anything to the hat. Ever. Well... _this_ point was negotiable. It depended what was being done with the hat. Like wearing it with a smile... and just those two items. That was acceptable. Using it as a bed with a recently beheaded bird was not. Sharpening claws that _really_ didn't need to be any pointy-er was also flat out.

6. Hogging the blankets was bound to happen. Trying to get those hogged blankets back meant getting scratched up in a very unpleasant way. For the safety of the other, it was best just to accept the fact that covers really weren't necessary... even if the thief was nothing more than a black ball of fur.

7. No hot water in the morning was the price to pay for stealing the blankets. It was either learn to share or go without. Going without was better than caving in, so cold showers became an aquired habit.

8. Shoulder rides were in order, whether in human form or cat form.

9. Shoulder rides were accepted... but the human form would later have to massage said shoulders in thanks for supporting the extra weight. This one is usually followed by a sharp smack to the back of the head for suggesting, however vaguely, that the shoulder rider had gained any weight.

10. Sex. Both parties agreed to this rule, and demonstrated it as frequently as possible.

11. LOTS of sex, added on when one party member decided to disappear for years at a time. It was to be assumed, upon their arrival after an unnaturally long abscence, that a good amount of sex would be required in order to not only make up for the lack over the years but to help pursuade the other to be in a forgiving mood. Again, both parties agreed, though the one wondered how long this reference to years of disappearance was going to continue.

12. No children. This was included when the addition of two children was made to the shop. It was argued at first, but when a fight broke out and Ururu came running into the room crying and with her hands super glued to her head while Jinta shouted he had nothing to do with it as he shoved the glue tube into his pocket... the argument was quickly forgotten and the scissors found.

13. The minute a dead animal found its way into their bed, all the windows and doors were being locked at night... with the offending party on the other side. It was tempting to break this rule... but winter was very cold, even with fur.

14. The minute cat toys found their way into the bed, the offending party was going to be bitten. Hard. And in an area that would forever prevent them from wanting sex again. This rule was never broken... though it was observed immediately that there was no mention of cat toys anywhere else in the shop. Silly kitty...

15. Grilled eel and avocado on a rainy day was a must. No reason for this rule, other than grilled eels and avocados tasted really good. Neither party is aware that they both secretly added this to the list of rules.

16. Areas in their lives that would forever see argument, frustration and maybe even some angry stomping around the shop: Control of ANY remote in the house, music selection, who slept on what side of the bed, temperature settings and who got to eat the last of the butter pecan ice cream.

17. Clever reparte was mandatory. Otherwise, what was the point of speaking?

18. Ear rubs, chin scratches and other forms of purr-inducing touch were not only tolerated but encouraged. See the above rule regarding LOTS of sex for proper motivation in this act.

19. While clothing would forever be optional within the house, in the store it was mandatory. Damned decency laws...

20. Sundays were for sleeping in, and this was non-negotiable. Even for the rules regarding sex and LOTS of sex. Not even the threat of feline retribution would reverse this rule.

21. Afternoons on ANY day ending in "Y" were reserved for napping. Should this be disrupted for any reason short of severe physical trauma, Hollows or natural disaster, the Sunday rule would be violated in the most horrific way.

22. In contingency with the above rule, a hat being "blown" from one's head did NOT constitute a natural disaster.

23. While there would never be any rule stating that both parties had to remain in constant companionship, it _was _expected that they be there when the other needs them. For ANYTHING.

24. Any gifts given had to be wrapped in at least four layers of paper, preferable of a shiny or reflective kind. An over abundance of string was also required, but bows were mandatory. Upon removal of bows, should they exist, the item must then be worn proudly on the head of the receiver.

25. Never ask or do anything of/to the other unless it's something that would be done by their self. This rule does NOT apply to going shirtless in the summer. It also does NOT apply to waking up any earlier than ten each morning.

Later, when they would think about it, their relationship with "few rules" actually had quite a bit of them. Oh, how the list had grown over the years.


	5. Snapshot Five

**Point**

Everyone remembers the first time they experience something new. The first time they see a bright sun burning against a blue sky. The first time they hear music and recognize it as pleasing to the ear. Every new taste of food, new texture to be memorized by the skin… it's all recorded as a first, and from then on it becomes familiar. Nothing can ever compare to the initial experience of the unknown. Not every new experience remembered was enjoyable. Not every experience became dim the initial discovery.

The first time they'd held hands had been an innocent thing. A young Yoruichi grinning down at him from where she'd sent him sprawling onto his back, holding out a hand to help him to his feet again. This was not an unusual occurrence, him being on his back and hurting like there was no tomorrow. It wasn't at all strange for her to help him to his feet afterward either. What was different, and what was new to them was when she hadn't let go of his hand. She'd flashed him that wildly amused smile over her shoulder, keeping her fingers wrapped firmly around his hand, and tugged his arm to pull him down to the river for a quick swim. This was a good first, one that was remembered each time she took his hand afterward.

He remembered the first time he'd heard her sing. It was a moment of celebration, their first unsupervised Hollow cleansing, and they'd celebrated by skipping their classes in favor of fun. They'd snuck out of the Academy and gone into Rukongai, back to where he had lived. It had been the first time Yoruichi had ever seen anything outside of the splendor in the Seireitei… and she'd reveled in it. He'd been nervous at the time of what the Shihouin princess would think, which was rather absurd of him. Yoruichi had never acted as any of the other nobles and to think she would do so upon seeing the more common surroundings he was familiar with wasn't at all a fair assumption on his part.

She was immediately at home with the place, insisting he show her as much as possible before they went back. So, he'd taken her to a favorite place of his; the musician's outpost. It was where musicians of all flavor met and performed, often encouraging the audience to join in. She'd enjoyed it, and had been excited when they'd played a song she knew. The minute she opened her mouth to join in, he'd been unable to do anything but gape at her. He understood then why Yoruichi rarely used her zanpaku-to. Why bother when she could scare any opponents off with one note? This was definitely filed under a bad first. Funny, and blackmail worthy… but bad all the same.

They experienced so many firsts together, both lovely and painful things, but there were two he would remember for th eternity they had together, one that never failed to make him smile and one that cut him more deeply than any weapon could have. Both were entirely his fault, the first instigated by his own will.

There was the first time he had ever kissed her, the most memorable of the thousands that followed it. It wasn't due to the amount of passion in it, or any contrived situation to make the event a "special" one. If anything, it was the ease and naturalness of the action that made it so memorable to him. Just a simple thing, really, without even a moment of hesitation or second guessing the action. They'd watched the fireworks from the Shiba house on her rooftop, just the two of them.

Well... she'd been watching the fireworks. He'd been too preoccupied wondering why the exploding lights looked so much better when reflected across her face than in the perfectly pitch black sky. And the smile... she'd looked like the little girl he'd known years before, wide eyed, excited and probably plotting a way to get to the launch sight and set off a few rockets on her own. He'd done it just as a star burst of green erupted in the air. She'd noticed him leaning in and turned exactly as she should have. He'd very quickly snuck in a kiss and sat back to smirk as she blinked at him in surprise. The best part? She'd blushed. She swore it was the light from the red firework that had followed shortly after the green. He didn't bother correcting her; the next firework had been blue, not red, and that was good enough for him.

Of all the many, many things he had ever done in his life, of all the things that were questionable in moral or action, the one thing that he would take back if he could was making her cry for the first time. That dishonor could have been performed by someone else. It had killed a part of him that he'd been the one to do it. She could lie all she wanted, say what she knew he wanted to hear to take away the guilt... but Yoruichi was a crappy liar, and he knew her too well for it to be successful anyway. The night she'd helped him to escape and followed him here was the time. The place had been the run down, abandoned lean-to they'd stumbled into, just a small step up from actually sleeping in the gutter really. He'd tried begging her not to. He'd pleaded with her, told her to lie and say he forced her to help him... but she did none of that. He had known how hard it was going to be living without all the comforts that the Soul Society offered to the Reapers. He'd lived without them before. But she... She had never experienced it, and he didn't want her to. Not his flash goddess.

They'd both been worn to the point of collapse, but he'd still found the energy to shout at her. It was the first, and only, time he'd ever raised his voice to her or been deliberately cruel. Try as he might to forget, he could still remember the ugly words he had used, the disgusting lies he'd told her. He'd said things he hadn't meant, lashing out at her in an effort to drive her away from him and back to the comforts she deserved. She'd taken it all silently, glaring at him briefly before rolling onto her side and presenting him with her back, pretending to be asleep. Later, when he'd woken up briefly as the rain (inevitably) started to pour down and drench the atmosphere in both moisture and frigid temperature, he'd heard her crying. She didn't know he'd witnessed the moment of weakness, and he would never disgrace her by mentioning it. But... it stuck with him and was something he would forever have to live with, even if he _had_ apologized in the morning. Apologies didn't matter much when a loved one had been hurt so badly.

* * *

**Counter-Point**

He was trouble. He was dangerous. He wasn't at _all_ what the head of the Shihouin family should associate herself with. If she stayed around him long enough, he was going to go down and drag her into the gutter with her.

Absolute crap, in her opinion. If anything, Urahara Kisuke was about the best thing that could have happened to her. Trouble? Only for those who brought it to them. Dangerous? Adventurous, bold, ingenious, daring... those were the adjectives that should have been used for him. As far as family honor went... well, since when had she ever professed to being anything like the other nobles? To be cool and aloof wasn't her forte, save in battle. To look down on those around her as if they were insignificant, or cannon fodder for her own designs, was disgusting to her. Flaunting her family's wealth around just seemed pointless to her. If family honor meant never living a _real_ life, to hell with it. Her own personal honor was more important. And to those who said he was going down and taking her with him, she had one word; pain. Pain to _anyone_ who suggested that. Kisuke would stumble. He would slip and come close to falling, but he would _never_ allow her to fall with him. He'd break his very back to make certain she didn't. It was what he'd always done.

In Seireitei, their relationship had been one of utter secrecy. The captain of Twelfth Division and the commander of the Special Forces sleeping together would have raised more than eyebrows. It would have brought about questions involving what exactly their relationship was, rumors about him using her for personal gain, disdain that she was 'slumming it' with a non-noble man. Too many questions and too much ugliness would come if they were made known. It was his idea, and though she hated the thought of not being seen holding hands with him in a more than platonic sense, she knew he was right. So... their's became a relationship of quickly stolen kisses, whispered endearments and flashes of heated glances. It wasn't until they'd left the Soul Society that those quick kisses turned into quick screws in the back room of his shop during business hours, the whispered endearments became whispered comments of a _very_ suggestive nature, and those heated glances became full out looks before the back room was revisited again. His getting exiled was the best thing that could have happened for them.

Many of the firsts that _should _ have been important, world changing events in their lives had been tainted by living in Seireitei, under the scrutinous eyes of those seeking ammunition against them. Kisuke, in his tenure as captain, had done an admirable job of gaining enemies, mostly from peers jealous of his accomplishments. She had her own fair share of enemies within Seireitei, but most of them were too intimidated by her position to do anything about it. If they'd known about her and Kisuke's relationship, that fear would have disappeared. This was something that had always eaten at her, the fact that something which normally brought joy to a person's life could be so defiled.

The first time they ever slept together had taken place in the human world and had been such a quick encounter that she didn't even consider it their _real_ first time. Groping hands, just the perfunctory movement of clothing in order to get what they wanted. Soi Fon commenting earlier that he had been giving her odd looks all during the captain's meeting, which had made the young guard uneasy, had resulted in them giving in to the lust and taking care of it. She'd known afterward that he'd been beyond frustrated with the situation, and that frustration increased each and every time they managed to meet for a quickie from then on. In fact... it wasn't until he was exiled, with her following close behind, that they'd managed to have what she would call proper sex. Not that there was _anything_ proper about what they'd done on their four month anniversary of being kicked out. Regardless, that was the moment she always considered their first time, when they could take the time to explore each other without having to fear someone discovering them.

There were other firsts as well that couldn't have happened in the Soul Society. The first time he ever cooked (and the last, thankfully), the first time they'd been able to stay up all night just to see what the sunrise would look like on the other... their first date. It was still something that made her smile, how Kisuke had come back with money from who-knew-where and insisted they spend it on a lavish dinner out. Before the date, she had managed to convince herself things like that weren't important. Who really needed flowers and wine and overpriced snails? However, looking at him sitting across from her, being able to hold his hand if she felt like it, laughing and talking more openly than they ever had in the past... She decided she was glad he was a "troublemaker", especially if this was the result of it.

That first night here had been hard on them both, but they were strong. She'd known from the start they could survive anything. He'd tried his damnedest to convince her to leave, even going so far as to call her a raging idiot before he couldn't find enough voice to keep screaming. Yes, it had hurt a bit to hear him say that, but she knew he didn't mean any of it. He was doing what he always did, trying to keep her from falling with him. They'd gone to bed that evening with their backs to each other, cold and listening to the rain fall.

That was when everything had clicked for her. She was sleeping next to him. She could touch him if she wanted, yank his hair, kiss his cheek... and there was no one there to care if she did it. It was the first time ever in her life that she could recall crying, the sobs moving through her so that she had to move away to keep from waking him up. It was wet here, and so cold she could see her breath. She was an outlaw and could never return legally to her home... but she was free, and she was with him. Tears were supposed to be for the unhappy occasions. Strange that they were the result of her being happier than she could ever remember.


	6. Snapshot Six

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just a short little piece I wrote at work when I was bored.

* * *

**Idle Hands**

The first time he'd ever met her, she'd punched him… and he'd cried like there was no tomorrow. He hadn't expected the tiny girl to be so strong, and he certainly didn't think he'd deserved being punched in the first place. All he'd wanted to do was touch the shiny, plum colored hair that was bouncing in a long tail in front of him. He was a child then and had never seen a color like her hair before. This had constituted as his first experiment ever, to curl his fingers around that thick mass and give it a firm tug. He'd only wanted to see if it was real, and the most logical way to discover this was to touch it.

It was real. And so was the fist that had suddenly connected with his eye. He remembered falling to the ground, his bottom hitting the hard earth and bouncing painfully. Golden eyes had glared down on him, a childish pout curling her lips downward, and he'd gaped for several shocked seconds before the pain registered through his thoughts. That was when he'd burst into tears, howling and wanting to touch his eye but too afraid to find out if it had exploded like he'd thought it had. What had been possibly even more shocking to him was when the creature with the pretty hair had made an exasperated sound before holding out a hand for him. He'd stopped crying as he'd regarded the hand that had momentarily been in his eye suspiciously. Finally, deciding that it wasn't going to find its way into his other eye, he'd taken her hand and let her walk him to one of the adults. It had then taken several hours of assurances and the use of a mirror before he was convinced that his eye hadn't exploded like he'd feared.

Kisuke smiled at the memory, rocking back and forth idly in his office chair as he watched that same girl, though now quite a bit older and currently not in human form, lick a black furred paw with almost vicious swipes of a rought pink tongue. That had happened such a very, very long time ago, but for some reason he always remembered it. Was it because that was the first time he'd ever met Shihouin Yoruichi or because it was his first experiment? It was hard to say, really. Either reason was important to him, though if he told her that he'd end up with an eye full of fist again. This time, however, he knew she could punch a LOT harder. And she'd probably throw in a little_shunko_ as well, just for extra insurance that he wouldn't say something that incredibly stupid in the future.

His eyes narrowed and he stopped rocking in his chair when he noticed her tail had started twitching almost irritably across the top of his desk. Back and forth, back and forth... The question of what body part in her human form equated to the tail on her cat form came to mind. And speaking of, what exactly were the mechanics behind shapeshifting? Was it real, or was it an illusion of the _reiatsu_? Or maybe... just maybe, the tail was her hair? No, that wouldn't make sense. The tail obviously had musculature and the ability to move at will. Her hair did not. So, then, one could assume it was only a clever way of bending the _reiatsu_. There wasn't anything comparable on the human anatomy (correction:_female_ anatomy) that could be a tail.

Kisuke pushed his hat down further on his head, a decisive frown crossing his lips as his eyes continued to follow the movement of that hypnotic tail. So much like her hair... Perhaps another experiment was in order. Carefully, so as not to disturb Yoruichi's grooming, he leaned across his desk with curious fingers.

* * *

All activity in the shop, from employees to customers, froze in shock at the sound of a cat yeowling loudly, followed by a pained shouted of, **"YEEEEOW!"**

Tessai cleared his throat and, as casually as possible, excused himself from talking to the gaping woman at the desk in order to check on the boss. On the way back to the office area, he made a quick detour down the medical aid aisle and grabbed a few rolls of gauze and disinfectant pads. He was about to push past the curtain when a small black shape came through, stepping with a dainty glide and a rather smug look across its furred face. Golden eyes took in the bandages, and if a cat could grin this one certainly would have been.

"You're going to need more than that," Yourichi said, her voice husky and much lower than usual. As she continued to saunte off toward he boss' bedroom, he could have sworn he heard something muttered about a 'damned idiot' and '_my_ tail'. Oh... the boss _didn't_... Tessai blinked and stared at the supplies in his hand, then turned his gaze back to the cat walking away from him... and went back to the aisle for more gauze. Apparently, this was one of those experiments that had gone very wrong.


	7. Snapshot Seven SPOILER ALERT

**WARNING!! SPOILERS FOR URAHARA BACKSTORY! PENDULUM ARCH IN THE MANGA! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!**

Inspired by the song Umbrella by Rihanna:

Now that it's raining more than ever/When the sun shines, we shine together/Told you I'll be here forever/Said I'll always be your friend/Took an oath, I'mma stick it out 'til the end/Now that it's raining more than ever/Know that we'll still have each other/You can stand under my umbrella.

* * *

Umbrella:

Normally, he loved the rain. There was something that was so fascinating with the concept of water in general that he took pleasure in. Just smelling it in the air was enough to make his spine tingle with anticipation. He enjoyed almost nothing more than to sit on the rooftop of Squad Twelve's barracks and watch as pitch black clouds rolled across the bright sky. Yoruichi had never understood his fascination with rainy weather or why it never bothered him to get soaked to the bone. She had given him an umbrella several years back. He used it during the dry summer months, when the sun was so scorching bright that his neck would be roasted pink within in hour.

But now… he almost hated it. Kisuke let his head drop back against the rough stone of the building he was sitting against and allowed the rain to pummel his face. The droplets had moistened the dried out bits of garbage he was sitting in until it became a thick, sticky sludge that soaked into the bright white of his captain's attire. Benihime was grumbling in the back of his mind, not at all happy about their current resting spot. She was leaning against the wall next to him, her sheath resting in the cleanest part of the alleyway by his hip. This trash ridden side street was not at all the type of place his proud zanpaku-to was comfortable with. She wasn't demanding that they leave, however. She knew why he was here.

Kisuke irritably swiped his hair out of his face and ignored the warmer streaks of water that ran down his cheeks. He could pretend very easily that those were raindrops warmed by the skin of his gigai. It was a very convincing lie, one he almost believed. Frustration and anger made his chest tight and therefore made his breath leave in shallow little puffs of mist. He knew it was cold out from the way his breath steamed in the air, but he couldn't feel it. Perhaps his gigai was already used to the cold. Or perhaps he just couldn't bring himself to care enough to notice such small matters as freezing skin and wet trash seeping into the seat of his hakama.

At least he didn't need to waste time with the typical questions that followed such a shocking incident. The whos, whys and hows were already answered for him. It was the what that had led to him stumbling out into the downpour with a heavy heart an weary mind. What were they going to do? What was _he_ going to do? He couldn't say he hadn't expected to be put into check eventually. After all, he'd played witness to something he shouldn't have. It was only natural that Aizen would want him out of the picture as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he hadn't had time to contrive a way out of it what with trying to save Captain Shinji and the others from the Hollows eating away at them.

The shit had hit not only the fan but the floor, walls, ceiling and everything else that it possibly could have. Aizen had known he would try and use the hogyoku to try and stop the hollowfication from progressing and had used not only used it as a diversion but as information to lead to his arrest. Clever, clever move. Now… if only he knew how to counter it. Being forced into a corner like this wasn't something Urahara Kisuke was used to. He hadn't been in the Special Ops just because Yoruichi was a dear friend to him. He'd earned his place, just like everyone else. The only difference was that he'd been more cunning and thoughtful about how he did it than physically aggressive. It was embarrassing that he would lose in a battle of wits.

Still… it wasn't his bruised ego that now found him sitting in a pile of rotted fruit and molding paper under a downpour so heavy that it stung his skin. The first pesky 'what' was the reason. What were they going to do? Had it only been himself involved, he wouldn't have been this emotionally overwhelmed. But there were others. Shihouin Yoruichi had given up everything for his freedom. Tsukabishi Tessai had been drawn in simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time… and also for helping when Kisuke had asked. Then, there were the Soul Reapers he'd failed. Shinji… Hiyori.

Kisuke closed his eyes and fisted his fingers into his hair, tugging hard enough he could feel a few of the strands as they tore free from his scalp. It didn't hurt enough. Nothing could hurt enough to compensate for the fact that he'd been unable to save anyone. If he'd managed to reverse what had happened to them, then he wouldn't have minded the sentence of exile so much. He could have made do without any of his powers and lived a normal, happy life as a human. Maybe found a woman that was at least halfway as amazing as Yoruichi, settled down and had a few kids. But Fate was even more fickle than Lady Luck, it seemed.

He'd gone down and he'd taken the whole damn ship with him. Knowing how the Soul Society operated, Shinji, Hiyori and the others were probably dead by now, executed for the crime he hadn't committed and the fact that he hadn't been able to save them. Yoruichi had everything stripped from her, right down to her very name. No one would speak of Commander Shihouin any longers. She was nothing. Tessai, who really did know him too well, would forever have the black mark of using forbidden techniques associated with his name simply because he'd caved in to Kisuke's plead for help.

Kisuke slammed his palm hard into the dirt and grime of the alley, enjoying the feel of rough pebbles and broken glass cutting into his hand. He'd taken the two people he considered family and dragged them into hell with him, because of him. From the upper most rungs of the Soul Society to a worn down, leaking store house in the most filthy and disgusting part of the human world he could imagine. Nothing in Rukongai compared to their shelter. Rats, animal feces, barely any roof and no idea how any of them would make it in this new world. He at least had the advantage of living in some of the rougher sections in Rukongai. Tessai had always been middle class, and Yoruichi was royalty. They didn't deserve such degradation. The very idea of Yoruichi having to make her bed in that…

It disgusted him. Almost as much as he disgusted himself. A soft growl came through his clenched teeth as his palm once again slammed into the pavement, grinding the loose, sharp pieces into his skin hard. Damn it, he should have told them Tessai hadn't been involved! He shouldn't have been so relieved that Yoruichi had broken them out! He shouldn't have…

Kisuke's eyes opened slowly when the rain had suddenly stopped. He blinked the salt ridden tears and raindrops from his eyes as he tried to figure out why the sky looked a bit like a red parasol. Just as he was about to decide the human world had very strange weather, a white shoed foot nudged his upturned leg hard. "You're a right awful mess," Yoruichi said in a tone of voice that implied she was amused. "Are you drunk? And if so, it's damned poor of you not to share."

"What are you doing here?" he mumbled. Though the question was a bit petulant sounding even to his own ears, it wasn't intended as such. Normally, he would have pouted at Yoruichi's words, but at that moment he was glad he looked as awful as he felt.

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed as she squatted in front of him, silently contemplating his features. He flinched a little when she leaned in and sniffed at his lips before sitting back with an annoyed twist to her lips. "You're not drunk, which leaves only one other solution for why you're freezing your ass off out in the rain almost a hundred miles from the shelter."

His brow twitched the slightest bit upward to indicate he was interested in hearing her hypothesis.

Grinning as her gold colored eyes sparked with mischief, she nodded and said, "Tessai's snoring, right? It's enough to scare a host of Hollows away, I do agree."

Kisuke simply shrugged. Honestly, he had no idea if Tessai snored or not. He hadn't stayed around long enough to find out, and he could honestly say he wasn't sorry that he hadn't. Not if it was as bad as she said it was. In truth, the minute the three of them had stumbled into the rundown building that was to be their shelter for the evening, he'd taken it in and promptly left despite the fact that Tessai had called out for him to stop. At that point, he'd known that he had to get away from them as fast as possible to protect them.

Apparently… one hundred miles wasn't far enough to keep Yoruichi from searching him out. Kisuke rubbed his hand across his face wearily before draping his arms over his upraised knees. "At least you two won't need to set a guard at night," he replied dully.

Yoruichi stood to her full height with that and sighed heavily. "I see… so it's Brooding-hara I'm dealing with tonight, is it? Well, I'm not in the mood and it's been a long day. So, if you wouldn't mind getting off your ass and leaving your self loathing behind in the trash where it belongs, Tessai's got a fire going and I managed to steal some sake and food."

Kisuke shook his head as he turned his injured palm upward to study the pieces of rock and glass embedded in his skin. The cuts were so small and shallow they hadn't done more than pierce his skin. What little blood had resulted had already been washed away. "I think my ass is where it belongs, thank you very much," he argued while idly picking a pebble out from his skin.

Sighing heavily, Yoruichi shook her head and mumbled something that sounded vaguely like 'flaming idiot' before she closed the parasol and dropped down into the filth alongside him. She settled the parasol along the wall beside Benihime, which caused the zanpaku-to to grumble about being reduced to an accessory. Kisuke flinched when her shoulder pressed into his but he didn't fight her when she grabbed his wrist rather roughly and began to examine the scrapes across it. "Do you remember the war with the Quincies?" she murmured as she dug her nail into a cut to get the glass out of it.

"Hmm… yeah."

"Remember that one battle, the one where you, Soi Fon and I got separated from the rest and were ringed in by a whole bunch of pissed off Quincies?"

How could he forget? Three arrows in his thigh, four sticking out from his back and shoulders and nearly one hundred more arrows aiming to take them down was hard to forget. He remembered Soi Fon vaguely resembling a pin cushion, the kido she'd worked earlier having knocked out the spiritual energy imbued in those deadly barbs so that they were reduced to just regular arrows. Yoruichi had been unscathed and practically sandwiched between them as the continued to circle their commander, bleeding and ignoring her shouted order to leave at once. That was one thing he and Soi Fon had had in common; an unshakable loyalty and love for their commanding officer.

Kisuke winced when she dug in especially hard to push out a particularly stubborn pebble. "It had taken Captain Unohana something close to two months before she released either of us," he commented.

Yoruichi nodded and pressed the sleeve of her shirt to the tiny spot of blood her ministrations caused. "As I recall, Soi Fon had been caught trying to escape the medical ward thirteen times before Unohana ordered her restrained. You they restrained right off the bat because of the fuss you threw."

"She's incredibly dedicated to you. Was, I mean." He was purposely ignoring her comment about him being restrained while silently adding yet another person he could only hope to beg forgiveness from. He could only imagine how Soi Fon's heart would be broken when she discovered her beloved Shihouin princess had followed him into exile.

She didn't say anything in regards to him avoiding her words, merely crossed her legs at the ankles and held his hand in her lap. Her fingertips were gently stroking over his palm, as if trying to soothe the sting of the scrapes and cuts. "You said something that day, Kisuke. Something it seems you've forgotten during your pathetic pity party."

"Oh? And it's not a party if there's only one person participating." He hissed when she dug her nails into his wrist hard enough to dent the skin.

"Stop being stubborn," she growled. "You said that if we went down, we went down together. Remember that?"

He did remember that, though the circumstances at the time he'd said it were entirely different. That had been during what he'd thought would be their final moments, when it was the three of them against one hundred Quincy. "Those were the words of a subordinate to his commanding officer, Yoruichi," he muttered sullenly.

He could feel her icy glare staring at his profile but he refused to turn and meet it. Yoruichi was terrifying when she was pissed. "Funny," she bit out sharply, not at all bothering to hide her ire. "I thought they were the words from one friend to another. You know what, you _do_ deserve to rot with the garbage."

That did make him turn to her, his lips parting a little in shock. "Come again?" he asked, his voice tight due to the lump in his throat.

"If you're going to be so full of shit as to tell me you didn't mean those words as my friend, then stay here and rot for all I care. But know that, no matter what, I'm gonna be right here next to you. Even if you're a damned hypocrite and a liar, I'm going down with you."

As much as he didn't want to… Kisuke couldn't help but crack a weak smile. "I'm stubborn… isn't that the crow calling the raven black?"

"Oh, so you've been reduced to using clichés?" She snorted and dropped his hand unceremoniously back to his knees. "Now I know you're crazy!"

"At least it's not a commonly used cliché," he pouted, his lower lip turning outward slightly.

Yoruichi gave him a sly look as her lips spread into a wide grin. Kisuke frowned when she reached out and ruffled his wet hair, sending hair back into his eyes and sticking to his cheeks. She chuckled as he rolled a mild glare in her direction, elbowing him hard enough that he frowned as he rubbed the growing ache in his side. "That hurt," he complained.

"It wasn't that hard."

"I think it's bruising already…"

"Pansy."

"You're stronger than you think, Yoruichi," he whined, although he did stop rubbing his side. He wasn't a pansy. She just had really boney elbows and wicked aim.

Yoruichi's smile faded as she met his eyes with a cool, leveled glare. "I'm also stronger than _you_ think, Kisuke. Stop worrying about me, and about Tessai. Neither of us would have done it any differently. Even _if_ you were the only one to have received the sentence… we'd gladly go down with you." She held up her first finger to him, the underside facing him to reveal the almost minuscule scar on the tip.

Kisuke smiled sadly and shook his head as he rubbed a similar scar on his own finger. They'd done it when they'd been much younger and so innocent. It had been her idea to make the blood pact, something every youngster and their cousin seemed to do. She'd gotten the knife… and he'd been the one to negotiate the five centimeter gash on their fingertips rather than a two and a half inch cut across their palms.

Slowly, he reached out and pressed his fingertip to hers, his smile brightening a little under the onslaught of her sunny grin. He never could stay depressed around her. It was damned near impossible. "New oath?" he asked, arching a questioning brow.

"Sure, why not? New oath for a new stage in our lives," Yoruichi agreed readily.

Nodding, Kisuke said, "From now on, we act together. No matter what happens, we've got each other's backs."

"And we won't underestimate the other's abilities to take care of themselves," she amended with a meaningful glare."

Kisuke rolled his eyes and gave a wide smile. "Naturally. Now… can we get going? I feel sludge creeping into places I'd rather it didn't go."

Yoruichi snorted and got to her feet, holding her hand out for him to take. He let her haul him to his feet (she really did have beastly strength) and rotated his stiff neck as he tried to stop his jaw from chattering. Yoruichi opened the umbrella again and held it over both their heads as they began to walk back to the shelter. "I'm cold," he complained, rubbing his arms to stimulate a little warmth back into his gigai.

"I'm finding it hard to give a damn. You're the idiot who sat out in the rain for the last few hours."

"… You're so mean."


	8. Snapshot Eight

**WARNING! MATURE CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER. NOTHING BUT SHAMELESS, UNADULTERATED SEXING AHEAD!**

Don't know why I never posted this one here before...

* * *

Urahara Kisuke was a very complex, ever-changing man. It was something she treasured about him, the fact that he could be equal parts familiar and mercurial. One moment, he was completely at ease with himself, his natural confidence and charisma showing clearly through his beaming smile and the mischievous flicker of his eyes underneath the brim of his hat. But give him a good reason, and he could demonstrate a serious edge that held the promise of deadly intent. He was childlike and sage, genius and utter lunatic. The fact that he never stayed the same, despite his usual laid back demeanor, was something that had initially attracted her to him and ultimately what kept her coming back to him. However... there were some changes she could do without.

Like his latest change for example. Yoruichi enjoyed sex. She especially enjoyed sex with Kisuke, for the very same reasons that she had befriended him. Sex with him was never the same. Oh, sure, the results were standard enough, but it was the act of getting to that sweaty, satisfied state that was the fun. She was gifted with flexibility and stamina. He was gifted with a mind the was brilliant and filthy. With his creativity and her physicality, they had explored areas that would make an expert in the Karma Sutra blush like a virgin bride on her wedding night. There was, however, one area to their sexuality that had never been explored. One that she'd hoped to never have to deal with before.

Kisuke had taken up, much to her annoyance, the habit of talking dirty while they were having sex.

Not just a 'come on, baby' here or an 'oh, yeah' there, but a full out running commentary of the most perverted things her ears had ever been assailed with. Yoruichi was a very patient woman. She had to be to deal with him. But this talking during sex... it had pushed her to the edge. Yes, she could be a complete whore for him when properly encouraged, but she didn't need everyone within a four block radius to hear it. He didn't need to ask if she liked having him take her hard. He already knew that from countless times before. No, she would not tell him who her daddy was. Thinking about her parents while he was pounding away on her... ugh! It made her stomach want to crawl up her throat to die in a dirty gutter somewhere.

It wasn't that what he said was shocking or anything. After all, they'd grown up in a very military setting, and everyone knew soldiers had mouths that would make their mothers weep buckets of tears. What she didn't like about it was how completely useless it all seemed. She enjoyed losing herself in the way they moved, the animalistic grunts and groans, the harsh gasps of breath and the occassional word of encouragement. Having him talk non-stop disrupted her moment of zen, which ultimately ended with him getting off and her feeling pissed off that she'd worked up a sweat for nothing. What added to this annoyance was the fact that he looked so pleased with himself afterward that she couldn't bring herself to do anything about it. She loved seeing the lazy, lop-sided grin he gave her, full of contented joy and utterly relaxed.

But if she didn't get some good, old-fashioned silent sex soon, she was going to bind him up with a kido before picking apart every single invention he had stashed around the shop while he watched helplessly. The next best thing to getting laid was making a grown man cry, and if he didn't shut the hell up and do her properly she would make certain he'd tear up everytime he looked at her. It was the most maddeningly frustrating thing to want the man and everything he had to offer, get really close to that point of pure, floating bliss... and then have it jerked away the minute he opened his damn mouth.

It looked like this time was going to be the same as the last several, she thought wryly, pushing her hips down hard on his. Yoruichi liked having him on his back with her riding him so that she could watch his face as he came. She liked the visual he made, his pale hair spread out and skin slicked with sweat as he sprawled across dark green linen. It was fun to run her hands up his chest before dragging her nails back down and leaving thin red marks against his skin. Kisuke didn't mind it in the least, though later he'd complain about being ravaged by a feral cat. Her own passion was pretty high at this point, her lips parted and gasping and that wonderful throbbing sensation starting low in her stomach. He hadn't said anything for a little while now. Maybe she would get lucky and-

"Nn... I love it when you ride me hard! Yeah, just like that!"

-And then he had to go and open his mouth. She felt like saying something sarcastic about stating the obvious, but refrained from it because then he'd give her the kicked puppy look and that wasn't condusive to producing an orgasm. So... plan B then. Yoruichi grit her teeth quickly to keep the comment in check before leaning over him for a deep, heated kiss. The groan he gave and the way his fingers dug harder into her hips in response to her tongue pushing roughly into his mouth were the reactions she enjoyed from him. Kissing him was how she shut him up on a normal basis anyway, and it worked fairly well in the bedroom, too.

Until she started catching random snippets of dirty talk between kisses. That was almost worst than a running dialogue because she could only catch a few words here or there. Random, filthy nonsense was all it was, and it was quickly sucking the libido right out of her. This had to end, and it had to do it fast so that she could FINALLY have an orgasm! But what to do? Yoruichi stopped moving completely and regarded the situation with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. His cock was still hitting deep inside her where she liked it, which was nice but not what she was currently interested in.

Kisuke, who was panting hard while he shifted restlessly under her, had just realized a little too late that she wasn't moving any longer. Blinking his eyes in confusion, he pushed himself up onto one elbow while his other hand tried move her hips manually. She didn't budge. "What the... Why'd you stop?" Kisuke demanded, a faint hint of a whine mingled with the need in his voice. "C'mon, I was so close!"

Yeah, he was close. He was close to getting his jaw broken so that she could enjoy their sex once again! Yoruichi looked around the room, trying to find something that would be useful in keeping his mouth shut. She could always paralyze him with a kido... but that would probably result in him not being too happy with her later. The last time he'd been mad at her, the shop had been out of any form of dairy for almost a month. No cream, no milk... not even a slice of processed cheese. She needed to do this in just the right way. Something kinky would have been perfect, but she didn't think Kisuke had any ball gags in his small arsenal of toys.

"Are you being a dirty little tease?" he asked slyly, causing her too flinch and fight the cringe that came with those words. Damn it, she needed something, anything, to shut him the hell up! "Want me to beg for it? Wanna hear how much I looooove your tight, hot body?" Noooo... she didn't. What she wanted was a damn-

Yoruichi's eyes widened as she spotted what she was looking. Letting out a triumphant sound, she leaned over the side of the bed and snatched what her eyes had fallen on. The movement made both of them hiss in pleasure as it shifted his cock inside her sharply. Yoruichi leaned forward once again and resumed rocking her hips into his while distracting him with another hungry kiss. Kisuke groaned into her mouth and didn't struggle or seem to notice when she wrapped her fingers around his wrists and guided them up over his head. Yoruichi couldn't help grinning against his mouth as she set her plan into motion. With quick, practiced movements, she had his belt tied around both his wrists and secured to the pipe that ran along the wall behind the futon before he could lift a finger to stop her.

Kisuke's eyes widened in surprise as he gave an immediate, reflexive tug to the restraints while she sat back and laughed as step one was completed. Step two would commence... "Hey! What the -MMPH!" Just as she'd expected, Kisuke had opened his mouth to protest his captivity, which was exactly the moment she'd been waiting for. She shoved her make shift gag into his mouth, grinning and damn near howling with laughter at the sheer shock plastered across his face. Wide eyes rolled downward to take in the green and white striped material that was poking out from his mouth.

Satisfied that his hat wasn't going anywhere, Yoruichi pressed a chaste kiss to his ear and purred, "That's much better!" Ignoring the fact that she'd startled some of the hardness from him, she began to move again, slamming herself down on his cock with a renewed eagerness for the now word-free encounter. It wasn't long before he was back in the game fully and they were both making more natural sounds, though his were muffled quite a bit. Yoruichi felt that warm, fuzzy sensation starting again, working its way up through her stomach, tickling along her spine. She curled her fingers harder around his shoulders as a wave of euphoric bliss began to rise up to drown her. Kisuke's neck muscles were straining, corded tight as he arched his back off the bed, his eyes closing tightly as tiny beads of sweat slipped down his cheeks.

It was while she was taking in the flushed color of his skin, which made the green and white edges of his hat stand out in stark relief, that she finally came. It was the first time in a long time that she'd had an orgasm from the actual sex aspect, and it was glorious. Yoruichi tipped her head back, eyes squeezing shut tightly as the heady, rushed feeling crashed into her. It flooded through her, leaving her shaking and panting hard as she tightened her thighs around his hips. The moment lingered on in little spasms as she finally collapsed next to him, letting his spent cock slip from her body.

Pushing her tangled hair from her eyes, Yoruichi met his glazed over eyes and grinned as a spark of irritation managed to find its way through the near-drunken pleasure. "I should get a camera," she teased, lightly trailing her nails up and down his chest. His response required a pointed glance up to where his hands were bound and one finger. Laughing, Yourichi pulled his hat from his mouth before maneuvering herself so that she was straddling his chest. She left his wrists tied to the pipe, waiting to see just how angry he actually was first before releasing him.

"Ugh," Kisuke complained instantly as his face contorted into one a distaste. "My hat tastes awful!"

"Well, yeah," she commented back. "You wear it everyday. Cleaning dusty shelves in it, rough housing with the kids... sweating in it."

"I've got cotton stuck to my tongue, too."

"Aw, poor baby!"

Kisuke gave her a pouting look, complete with his lower lip curled out slightly. "Heartless woman," he muttered.

Smiling, Yoruichi tapped a finger to the end of his nose playfully, drawing back quickly when his mouth moved as if to bite her. "If I were heartless, I would have left you tied up, gagged and hard," she shot back, her smile widening further as he mulled the truth to her words over briefly before giving a nod and shrug to concede the point.

"True... but you were a bit slower than I was expecting, my dear," he said, his own smile forming as she cast narrowed, suspicious eyes on him. "It's about time you took some initiative with me. I was running out of things to say!"

She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe it! "You mean... the entire time you've been talking dirty... it was all just to irritate me into doing this?" she gritted out slowly, her fingers curling into tight, angry fists.

Kisuke's lips twisted in mock thought briefly before returning to the wide, triumphant grin he wore when one of his inventions worked as expected. "Yup, that sounds about right," he said cheerfully. "If I'd known you'd react this kinky, I would have done it - hey... where are you going? Yoruichi? Umm... Yoruichi? I'm still tied up! Hey!"

Yoruichi ignored his continued protests as she wrapped herself in his coat and stomped angrily toward the door to his room. "I bet you didn't expect this outcome, pervert," she growled, annoyed beyond civil words that her brilliant plan had actually been a contrived part of his plan from the get-go. "G'night, Kisuke!" She waved airily over her shoulder as his voice grew a little more desperate in trying to get her to stop. Perhaps one night of being tied up and naked would teach him once and for all not to screw around with her!


End file.
